Marked - 1

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents either are the product of the author's
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to
actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living
or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of
either the author or the publisher.

Marked
TOP SHELF
An imprint of Torquere Press Publishers
PO Box 2545
Round Rock, TX 78680
Copyright 2010 by Sean Michael
Cover illustration by S. Clements
Published with permission
ISBN: 978-1-61040-058-9
www.torquerepress.com
All rights reserved, which includes the right to
reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form
whatsoever except as provided by the U.S. Copyright
Law. For information address Torquere Press. Inc., PO
Box 2545, Round Rock, TX 78680.
First Torquere Press Printing: September 2010
Printed in the USA

Marked - 2

Marked

Sean Michael

Chapter One

Cody sat at the bar, steadfastly ignoring the shit going
on around him while the whiskey burned from his lips
all the way down to his belly. He was fucking tired of
being alone, but he didn't really feel like trolling -- for
tail or trouble, either one. Still, the walls of the shitty
hotel room were closing in, weighing on his ass, and so
he'd given up, grabbed his jacket and his wallet, and
escaped.

This late, the bars were the only option if you didn't
want to spend your waking hours in a twenty-four hour
greasy spoon, and the idea of the smells there made
Cody shudder, made his lip curl.

No. No, give him the whiskey, the driving beat, the
crowd behind him moving to the music.

He caught the bartender glancing his way, nodded once.
He knew the dark glasses seemed like a ridiculous
affectation, he could read that on the man's face, but the
man had figured out, after the first five-dollar tip, to
keep his fucking mouth shut.

"One more, man?"

Cody bobbed his head to the driving beat. "Yeah. Make
it a double." He slid a twenty across the bar.

The stool beside his was filled: someone tall and broad,
who smelled all fucking male. He licked his lips, kept

Marked - 3

his eyes on the bar, even though his prick took interest
in the scent. Not here for trolling.

"What'll it be?"

The roughest voice he'd ever heard answered. "Whiskey,
no ice." A bill slid across the bar.

He nodded as his own drink was slipped over, the liquid
splashing on his fingers. He hissed softly, licked his
fingers clean.

He felt eyes on him, the man next to him turning to look.
Then a second whiskey was plonked down, one big hand
grabbing it. They drank together, and Cody finished half
of the double with a couple of gulps before taking a
breath. That eased the grind inside him.

His neighbor settled half sideways, and he could feel the
man looking again. "Busy night."

"It is. Lots of folks."

"You're not looking, though."

He looked up, surprised at the words, at the growl. "Just
wanted to be out and about."

"You could have called."

"I wasn't sure you'd answer me." He slammed back the
rest of the drink, just to shut himself up.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Marked - 4

Cody nodded, closing his eyes against the reflection on
the back of his dark glasses. Yes. Yes, they were both
here.

"I know why you chose this place. The music called you
-- that driving beat."

"Yes. I didn't want to be alone." He was so fucking tired
of being alone, hiding away.

"Like I fucking said: you could have called." There was
heat in that growl now.

He, ever so casually, flipped the asshole off. Butthead.

"Were you going to at all? Christ, Cody. You're in town
so fucking rarely, and you weren't even going to call,
were you?" Barker stood, towering next to him.

"Don't. Just fucking don't. You told me, when I left last
time, not to bother!" He wasn't going to have a fight in a
fucking bar, not when he'd spent days in a hotel where
he could watch Barker move, sleep.

"Since when did you ever fucking listen to me?"

"Fuck this." He headed for the door, head down, furious
snarls bubbling up inside him.

He could feel Barker following him, feel those eyes on
his ass. His fucking body responded eagerly, even
thought he told it to back the fuck down. Sit. Stay.

Marked - 5

As soon as they were out of the bar, one of Barker's big
hands wrapped around his, dragging him down along the
street.

"What the fuck?" Fuck, that hand. That hand. Jesus.

"You're coming back to mine." Barker didn't slow down
for a second.

He wasn't given the chance to argue, to complain --
Barker knew exactly how much height and weight he
had on Cody.

They weren't far from Barker's loft apartment, and all
too soon they were walking through the lobby toward
the elevator. His hotel room was just across the street,
looking in.

"You can't just drag me in here."

"I just did."

The elevator door opened, like the motherfucker could
will it open, and he was shoved inside. Barker followed,
hitting the button for the sixth floor. Then the man
stalked right up to him.

He blinked behind the glasses, took a step back, unable
to resist the compulsion. Barker didn't bring their
mouths together, though. The man just stared down at
him.

His heart was slamming in his chest, his breath huffing
out of him. "I hate you."

Marked - 6

"Mmmhmm. I hate you, too." Fuck, Barker's voice was
growlier than ever.

The elevator slid to a stop. The doors opened and they
stood there, glaring at each other, eyes just burning.
Then Barker grabbed his wrist and hauled him out of the
elevator and into his loft, the walls all nothing but
windows.

His glasses were torn from his face, flung across the
room, and he gasped, hands immediately moving to hide
his eyes.

"Don't." Barker grabbed his hands and pulled them away
from his face.

He groaned, lips parting, fingers curling into claws as he
squeezed his eyes closed.

"Look at me." Before he could reply or comply, Barker's
mouth was on his, the kiss desperate.

Oh. Oh. He opened, the flavor crashing over him like a
ton of bricks, the need so sharp he yipped with it. Barker
moved him, that strong body just shoving him up against
the wall, his body slamming against it.

Barker's teeth nipped his bottom lip, opening him wider.
Hot and wet, Barker's tongue pushed in, fucking his lips.

His eyes popped open because he had to see this, had to
remember every second, every minute. Barker's eyes
stared right into his own, right into him.

Marked - 7

His cock jerked, hot spunk spurting from him, spreading
in his pants from the heat in those dark eyes. Barker's
nostrils flared; he could tell the man was scenting him.

He tensed, embarrassed like he was just a boy. He had to
get out of here, lick his wounds. Then Barker's mouth
was on his again, hips grinding into him. Barker fed
from his lips, refusing to let him back away, demanding
every second of his need.

"Gonna fuck you," muttered Barker. "Gonna take this
ass." Barker's hands wrapped around his butt cheeks,
squeezed.

His entire body went on high alert, but he shook his
head. "Won't let you." It was a lie, and they both knew
it.

"Good. It'll be more fun that way." Growling hard,
Barker started pushing him toward the big bed.

His cock started coming back to life and he snarled
softly, warning Barker that he could bite. Barker
groaned, kept pushing him in the direction of the bed.
He pushed back, their lips mashing together, the
pressure splitting their lips. Grabbing his ass, Barker
hauled him up against the solid body, his feet coming
off the ground, letting Barker keep them moving.

"Cheating," he snarled, but his legs wrapped around
Barker's hips.

"Can't cheat. No rules." Barker carried him right over to
the bed and threw them both down on it, the big body
pushing him hard into the mattress.

Marked - 8

He tried to get the upper hand, but Barker's teeth found
his throat, bit down, insisting that he stay still. He could
hear the growl building in Barker, could feel it against
his skin. His body submitted; there was no other choice.
His Alpha, his Mate, had him by the throat. Cody
arched, offered himself over.

The growl came out, triumphant, sexy.

Barker began to tear at his clothes. His teeth snapped at
the air, his abs tight as strings at Barker's touch.

"Better," muttered Barker once he was naked. His right
nipple was taken between Barker's teeth, bitten.

He snapped out a cry, his fingers curling into claws.
Barker's tongue stayed there for a moment, soothing the
hurt, and then another bite landed by his ribs. His fingers
found purchase in Barker's hair and tugged, pulling the
evil bastard closer. More bites covered his skin, Barker
growling and moaning.

"Stop..." He rolled up, then Barker shoved him down,
and his knees went up.

Barker's tongue slid across his hole. His eyes rolled back
in his head, his sob ringing out. The wet lick came
again, and then Barker's tongue pushed right in. His
howl rang out, tearing out of his chest, so big, so fierce.
Barker tongue-fucked him hard and fast, slicking him
up.

Words jabbered in his head, the entire universe
shrinking down into this single point, this moment.

Marked - 9

When Barker's tongue disappeared, the man's hard, hot
cock pressed against his hole in its place.

Barker didn't move, and Cody knew what the fucker was
doing: waiting for him to open his fucking eyes. A low
growl came from the man. He gasped in a breath,
arching into the sound. Barker's cock didn't breach him,
though. The man just kept waiting, the low grumble
resting in his throat.

"Barker..." He fucking needed.

"Look at me," growled Barker.

"They're ugly." They proved his deformity.

"Look at me."

"No." His eyes opened, though, his heart pounding.

"Yes." Barker pushed into him, the thrust hard, landing
right on his gland.

"Mate!" He screamed with it, desperate and needy and
lost with that single thrust.

Pleasure, pride, and satisfaction filled Barker's eyes, and
the man began to pump into him. They slammed
together, rutting wildly, and all Cody knew was need.
Barker snarled and growled, holding his gaze. So
beautiful. So wild. He called out, begging for Barker
with all he was.

"Mine." The word was little more than a needy snarl.

Marked - 10

"I can't be..." He knew that; Barker knew it. He was
broken.

"Mine," Barker snarled the word again, slamming into
him.

"Fuck..." His teeth gnashed, and the pleasure battered at
him.

"Yes." Barker kept pushing into him, kept pulling on his
cock; he was in sensory overload.

He couldn't shift, he couldn't come, he couldn't let go.
Broken, he was broken!

Barker wasn't looking at him like he was broken. "Come
on, Cody. Give me what I want."

He took a sobbing breath, intending to tell Barker that he
couldn't, but his cock could and did, seed spraying over
his chest, up onto his face. Barker put his head back and
howled, heat pushing deep inside Cody. He felt the
marking, sliding everywhere, spreading Barker's scent.

Barker collapsed onto him, pressing him into the
mattress.

He held on, knowing it would only be for a few minutes,
knowing that shame would have him running the second
Barker fell asleep, until the pain and the loneliness drove
him back close enough to smell his mate.

A low sound rumbled from Barker's throat, almost a
purr, and one big hand petted his skin. Cody's body
arched, knowing that touch deep in his bones.

Marked - 11

"Mine." The word was whispered this time, Barker's
hand wrapping around his arm.

His answer was to lick Barker's chin -- the act adoration
and apology all at once.

That rumble sounded again, Barker clearly pleased.

Now all he had to do was file every second in his
memory and wait for his mate to fall asleep.

Marked - 12

Chapter Two

Barker yawned as he woke and stretched. He could feel
the sweet lassitude in his muscles, the feeling that meant
he'd had his mate, fucked Cody into the damn mattress.
Humming happily, he shifted, arm out to find his lover's
body, to pull Cody in close.

Only to find nothing but mattress. Cold mattress at that.
Growling, he sat up and looked around. The place was
empty; the only thing left of Cody was the man's scent.

He let out a roar.

Asshole. Motherfucker. The stupid little son of a bitch.
Barker was going to kill the piece of shit.

He got up and threw on his jeans, a T-shirt, and his
jacket. Then he hit the pavement, nose in the air. Cody
couldn't have gotten that big a head start on him.

Ten years. Ten years he'd done this. He'd seen his mate
on the night before the full moon, tight little body
outlined by the light, and he'd known this was it. The
one. His.

They'd had one night of pure fucking bliss; then the full
moon had come and Cody hadn't changed. He’d twisted
and sobbed, body wracked with pain, and all Barker
could do was watch. After that night, Cody was caught
between wolf and man -- teeth unnaturally sharp, eyes
glowing, muscles tight and trapped.

They'd talked to the Clan, to the healers, and everyone
had shaken their heads, sighed in sorrow for them. Cody

Marked - 13

should die, they’d told him. No one could stay sane. No
one could be caught like that forever.

Then William came to him and told him that he had to
renounce Cody, had to turn away from his mate and
drive him out to die. He'd snarled, fought the Alpha for
daring to suggest it, but when the fight was over, Cody
had been chased out, the scent of fear and blood the only
thing left.

Once every few years, Cody had shown up in the city
and he'd chased his mate down, dragged him home. And
every time Cody had disappeared again, hiding his
tracks.

Barker growled and started following the scent of his
lover. Cody hadn't covered it up as well this time, or at
least, it didn't disappear the minute he was out the door.
Maybe Cody wasn't that far ahead of him.

His mate needed to stop running, stop hiding, stop
spending the full moon in agony and alone. Barker knew
the change was possible. It had to be. His lover was still
sane. Mostly. Barker wasn't a pup anymore, either. He
was willing to stand up now, for what was his. Able to.

He followed Cody's scent to the hotel across the street.
Across the fucking street. He knew then, suddenly,
immediately, that Cody sat there, watched him. Asshole.

He stormed in and went to the front desk.

A young Asian man smiled up at him. "Good... almost
morning, sir. Can I help you?"

Marked - 14

"Cody Donner. What room?"

"I'm sorry, sir. Are you on his list of accepted contacts?"

Barker closed his lips on the growl that wanted out and
made himself smile. "Of course I am. I knew he was
here, didn't I?"

"Can I have your name, please?"

"No. You're going to give me Cody Donner's room
number or I'm going to search for the man myself. Floor
by floor, room by room." He leaned over the counter,
glaring down, letting the man see just how big he was.

"You'll have to leave, sir, before I call the police." The
little man was drawing up, trying to be tall.

"Barker? James Barker? Is that you, lovely?"

A tiny little slip of a girl in a maid's uniform bounded up
to him, rubbed noses with him. Clan. She was Clan.
"Uncle Barker. It is you."

He searched his brain for a name before coming up with,
"Lisa?"

"Mmmhmm." She waved to the man at the front desk.
"I'll take care of this guest, Matt. He's family." One arm
crooked in his. "What are you doing out this time of
night?"

"Looking for someone." He aimed a glare back at "Matt"
and then scented the air again.

Marked - 15

Cody was here. Had been here. Recently.

"One of us?"

"Yeah. Smaller than me, wearing dark glasses, even at
night."

Her face went tight and she shook her head. "He's sick,
Uncle. There's something wrong with him; I can smell
it."

His lips went tight and he stopped her, turned her so
they were looking eye to eye. "He's mine, Lisa. You
understand? Mine. You tell me where he is."

"Oh." The worry turned to pity. "Oh, man. Room 817.
He always takes it, every time."

He bit back his snarl, but couldn't stop his growl. "Every
time?" How often was Cody here?

"That's the rumor, yeah. He's a regular."

Dark haired, dark eyes -- she looked just like his sister,
Yvonne.

Damn it. A regular. And he'd only seen Cody what? Six
times in the last ten years? Maybe seven.

"Tell your mother I said 'hi.'" He patted her shoulder and
headed for the stairs; no way was he going to have the
patience to wait for the elevator.

"I... I will. Do you need room service?" she called after
him.

Marked - 16

He didn't bother to answer, taking the stairs two at a
time.

He was pissed off enough that he made it up them
double time, bursting through the stairwell door and
jogging down the hall to room 817. He was going to kill
Cody, the man coming here and watching him, staying
away more times than not if rumor had it right.

He banged on the door. "Let me in!"

The sound from inside the room was sudden, sharp,
incredibly huge. What the fuck?

"Cody!" he roared, banging on the door again.

Doors began to open on either side, people peeking out.
The door under his hands moved, sliding open the barest
bit. "Go away."

"No." He turned from the door long enough to snarl at
the lookie-lous, and then pushed his way into Cody's
room, closing the door firmly behind him.

"Go away." The scents of pain and booze were
overwhelming.

"You're hurting." Wasn't he just the king of obvious. He
growled and grabbed Cody, tugging him close.

"Go away..." Cody's muscles were jerking, rolling,
entire body fighting to change.

Marked - 17

Fuck, he'd forgotten how bad this was. He hadn't seen
Cody go through this since the man had first left.
Somehow, he'd convinced himself it wasn't this bad. "Is
it like this every full moon?" He pulled Cody to the
hotel bed.

"Just go away... You need to go. Tomorrow, you'll
change. You can't be here."

"How long does this go on for?" He pushed Cody onto
the bed and began to work those poor, twisted muscles.

"Go..." Cody arched, mouth open as he worked, pushing
on those horrifying knots.

God fucking damn it, this wasn't right. No one should
have to go through this, especially not month after
month. He snarled. "Shut up."

"Fuck you." Cody sobbed. "Why are you here?"

"You're my mate." He ground the words out from
between his clenched teeth. "Do you take anything for
the pain?" Had Cody ever seen a doctor? He was pretty
sure he knew the answer to that one would be a big,
fucking no.

Cody shook his head. "No. I don't want you to see this."

"Too fucking bad. Is this helping at all?" He kept
working, the muscles like stone under his fingers.

Cody nodded, panting softly as Barker massaged one
arm, then the other.

Marked - 18

"What else helps? Heat? Cold?"

"Whiskey." The laugh was pained but real.

"It smells like you've already had plenty." He worked
the muscles of Cody's back, slowly making his way
down the poor spine.

He felt his mate slowly relax, slowly ease into the
mattress.

A sound rumbled in his chest. "There. Better."

Cody's sigh answered him, his mate breathing easy. He
slowly lay down on top of Cody, feeling each breath.
Shudders hit the man every so often, but he pressed
down through them, forcing them to loosen their hold,
let his mate rest.

His hand found one of Cody's, and he twined their
fingers together, holding on. He wasn't going to sleep;
he was going to watch his mate, protect him.

And when the son of a bitch woke up and tried to run,
Barker was going to kill him.

***

The moon. The fucking moon was coming. Cody
groaned, arched, something warm and heavy easing him,
holding him down.

"The moon..."

Marked - 19

"It's coming. Like it always does." God, he swore
Barker's voice got gruffer every time he heard it.

"Why are you here?" Barker needed to leave. Had to.
The moon was coming.

"Because you are."

He shouldn't have stayed, but he'd kept it too late, waited
too long.

"It's like this every time, isn't it? Just as bad as the first
time. Maybe worse."

He nodded. It didn't matter. He coped. Mostly.

"I'm going to kill you."

Oh, thank the Goddess. "Swear it?"

Barker punched him in the arm. "Don't be an asshole.
Why did you keep this from me?"

"This isn't yours. I'm not Clan. This is mine to deal
with."

"Bullshit. You're my Mate. That makes you mine. All of
you."

He would give anything for that not to be true, to believe
that Barker would find another mate.

"And I'm pissed off. Not only did you keep this from
me, but I find out today that you're here a lot. A lot more
than I knew."

Marked - 20

"Just go away. I'll leave. I promise." He lied. He
couldn't. He needed to see Barker sometimes, to smell
him.

"Not an option anymore, babe." Barker seemed to
become heavier, more solid on top of him. "I'm doing
what I should have done ten years ago."

The heat seemed to bake into him, ease him, bone deep.

"We belong together. Everyone knows we mate for life.
It was wrong of the Clan to kick you out."

"I'm defective. You know that. Only the strong survive."
He knew that. He knew. Still, when his family, his pack,
had come with fire, with guns, with bared teeth,
something in him had run gibbering from the world.
Hateful, ugly, half-formed thing.

"Looks to me like you've done pretty fucking well in the
survival category. Ten years you've lived with this. Ten
years of unbelievable pain every full moon. On your
own. Makes you pretty fucking strong in my book."
That heat never wavered, never let up. Barker kept
pressed him down, forcing his muscles to let go. "With
the two of us, you'll be twice as strong."

"I won't dishonor you, Mate. I swore it." His need for
Barker was stronger than anything but his shame.

"No, instead you abandoned me, spied on me."

Marked - 21

His cheeks burned. He hadn't been spying. He simply...
He had to see. It was a biological imperative. Barker
was strong enough that the man hadn't needed him.

He pushed Barker aside, using what little strength he
had left, and slipped off the bed. "What can I say? I'm a
shit." He headed for the bathroom.

Barker's growl came after him, followed by the man
himself. Grabbing his arm, Barker pulled him back
around. "Yeah, you are. But you're my shit."

"Fuck off. You'll change tonight. You have to go. Get
out of town." He knew that Barker headed into the wilds
for the change; most of them did.

"Only if you come with me."

He wished he could, more than anything. "You know I
can't." He would be walking bait. Or, more accurately,
writhing on the ground whimpering bait.

"Then I'm staying with you."

"You can't." He pulled away, forcing himself to stand
strong. "Look. You know how this is; so do I. I'd give
my balls to be whole, to run with you, but it won't work.
You can live. Do it." Leave him to his half-light.

"I won't leave you here on your own." Barker stalked to
the window, looking out, looking down. "My
grandfather had a cabin, deep in the woods."

Marked - 22

He looked at the door. He knew this place; he could run.
Hide. He could. He was strong. "I'll be fine." He always
was. Always.

"I won't. I need my mate."

He closed his eyes as a wave of agony and need and loss
slammed through him.

Barker's arms wrapped around him. "I'm sorry, Cody, I
can't let you go this time."

He moaned, head falling forward. He should have run.
He should have. He would, as soon as the moon began
fading.

He was pulled tight against the solid chest. "Here or in
the wild, babe. Pick one."

Cody hadn't ever watched Barker change, after the first
time. Maybe Barker would turn on him, kill him, in wolf
form. That would be a blessing.

"Not here."

"If we leave now, we can be at my grandfather's cabin
when the change comes."

"Fine. I have to pack my things."

Barker moved to the door and stood in front of it, hands
folded across his arms. "Go ahead."

His eyebrow arched. "You don't trust me. I'm hurt."

Marked - 23

"I don't trust you not to try and run, no."

He didn't have much, and it didn't take but a few seconds
to gather up everything he owned into a duffel bag. He
worked when he could, saved for his trips here to watch.

"Come on. My truck's parked around the corner."

Hopefully he'd never have to come back here. If there
was a god, Barker would put him down tonight.

"I'm right behind you."

Marked - 24

Chapter Three

Barker drove like his ass was on fire. He could feel the
full moon hunting him with every second the sun
dropped lower in the sky.

He'd been driving since dawn, pushing his old truck
hard. He knew Cody would be safe at his grandfather's
old place. And he could run out there when the change
took him. And it was far enough out, Cody couldn't
disappear on him while he was out howling at the moon.

Cody was silent beside him, skin gray as ash, eyes
closed. The man smelled sour to him, sick. He rolled his
window down partway, letting the forest air clear the
cab out. He needed to find someone who could help
Cody out, fix him.

Those glowing eyes cracked open, peering at him over
the dark glasses. "You need me to drive?"

"I'm good. We'll be there soon." Out in the middle of
nowhere, the cabin would be a safe place. Cody could
lock himself in.

He got a nod, then the black lenses were pushed back in
place.

"You'll like it out here. It's isolated, fresh, clean."

"You go out often?"

"Every now and then." It was a good place to go and
howl at the moon. Every time Cody showed up and then
disappeared again, he'd go out and run until he was

Marked - 25

exhausted, spend some time all on his own. It was
private. His. Someplace he didn't have to see others; it
wasn't easy, knowing what he'd lost when Cody hadn't
changed.

Where did Cody go? Where was Cody's home, for God's
sake? Would the man even begin to answer him if he
asked?

"So. When you aren't stalking me -- where's your home
base?"

"I don't stalk you."

"No? What do you call it, then?"

"Weakness. I had to see you. I didn't ever bother you."

"No. You show up over and over and hide it from me.
I'm your mate, damn it!" They bounced over the dirt
road and he slowed back down, hands tight on the
steering wheel.

"You deserve better."

"No, I don't. I don't even deserve you. If I'd stuck by you
when the Clan said you had to go -- then I'd deserve
you. I didn't, though, did I?" He'd been young, scared,
hurting. Not excuses, just reasons why he'd let it happen.

"No. No one did. I'm not Clan. I didn't belong there."

"You're mine. That means you belong with me. I've
hated every second we've been apart. There's a piece of
me missing when you're not there, Cody."

Marked - 26

Cody didn't answer him to begin with, head ducking.
"I'm fucking sorry. I would never have answered your
call if I had known."

He shrugged. "It happened. You're mine. We have to
deal." He shot a look at Cody. "Better than we have
been."

"You could kill me. I've tried to off myself, but..." Cody
shrugged. "A body wants to live."

Barker went silent for a long time, working on that one.
"It's that bad?"

"What part? Wanting to live? It's ridiculous, but true."

"I meant the offing yourself part. Cody, you should have
come to me with this. I would have helped." He was
going to help now.

"How? You have a life, a home. You've had lovers,
friends. I've seen. I'm proud of you."

He shook his head. "I still can't believe you've been here
all those times and I never knew. That you were
watching me and I had no clue." He was an asshole. Of
course, so was Cody. How could he not have known?
That scent… maybe a part of him hadn't wanted to
believe it.

Cody shrugged. "I just needed to see you. I left for
weeks at a time. Wandered."

Marked - 27

Which brought him back to his original question. "So
where do you wander to? Where's home?"

"Wherever. I work when I can. I don't carry much, so I
move light."

"So the place you are the most -- that's in that hotel
room, right across the fucking street from me." Fuck, he
was a blind fucking idiot. How could he have not
known?

"I can see you from there."

"You know where else you can see me from? My
fucking place." He nodded at the clearing ahead. "There
it is."

Cody looked. "You come here a lot. I can smell you
here, even from the car."

"Nothing wrong with your nose," he said softly.

"No." Cody shook his head. "Nothing wrong with my
nose at all, or my appetite."

"There's a cooler in the back full of food for you. I'll get
something while I'm out tonight."

He pulled the truck to a stop next to the cabin and
jumped out to grab the cooler, as well as the pitifully
small duffel bag that was apparently home to all of
Cody's worldly possessions.

Cody seemed tiny in the clearing, oddly foreign and
draped in layers of sadness. He wanted to take Cody out

Marked - 28

under the light of the moon and then run with him, just
go like the wind, his mate beside him. He would settle
for coming home to his mate after he'd changed back.

"Let me have my bag, man. You don't have much time
left and neither do I."

"I've got enough time to get you inside. Show you how
to work the lock." He led the way, shouldering open the
door.

Cody followed him, head down, all coat and glasses and
hat.

"It's not fancy. There's an outhouse out the back and a
water pump up front."

He plopped the stuff down on the floor next to the door
and prowled around, making sure the windows and back
door were secure. "It'll keep you safe, though."

"Come kiss me."

His eyes widened in surprise -- Cody was usually telling
him to let go, not drawing him closer. He went, bringing
their mouths together in a kiss fueled not a little by the
animal lurking beneath the surface.

Cody tasted like tears, but the kiss was heartfelt, tongue
sliding to taste his mouth. He wanted to stay with Cody
and rut. He wanted to sink into the taste and the scent
and the feeling of his lover.

Marked - 29

It was no time at all before Cody pulled away from him,
though, a light sheen of sweat covering the lean body.
"It's time. Go."

"Look." He showed Cody how to lock the door. "You
lock it behind me and you don't let anyone in until I
come back at sunrise."

"I see how it works."

"Promise me you're going to lock it and nod let anyone
but me, as I am now, in."

"Go, Barker. The sun's down." Cody stripped the shirt
off him, popped the buckle open on his pants.

"I want that promise, mate." He let his pants fall down
around his ankles and worked off his running shoes. He
could feel the tug of the moon, knew it wouldn't be long.
"Promise."

Cody's hand stroked over his stomach, the palm wet
with sweat, the scent of pain almost unbearable. "Go."
Then Cody shoved him out the door.

Snarling, he turned and ran while he still could control
the animal, ran as far away from the cabin as his legs
would take him. When the moon's rays hit him, he
transformed, leaping into his wolf form, four legs now
taking him through the forest.

***

He watched through the window, watched the man he
loved more than life do the one thing his body needed to

Marked - 30

do more than anything. It was a special kind of hell --
watching heaven through a dirty, cracked window and
iron bars. He watched as long as he could, then he
stripped himself down.

If he was lucky, he'd be dead come morning. If he
wasn't, at least his clothes wouldn't be fouled and he
could put them back on.

Cody found his pocket knife and a bottle of whiskey in
his duffel, managing to make it out into the clearing in
front of the cabin before his legs gave out, his body
writhing on the dirt for a few torturous minutes before
the wave passed.

"Please. Please, let it be over. For me. Please let it be
done. Tonight." He drank deep, then cut a long line
across his arm, letting the blood flow free. Let Barker
come for him.

Either way, Barker was going to kill him. Either the
wolf would do it, or Barker would be so pissed at him
tomorrow that the man would.

Another wave of agony hit him and he convulsed, legs
and arms slamming into the ground, the knife blade
pushing deep. Either way worked.

He heard the lone howl -- Barker, his mate.

He sobbed, his entire body twisting as his muscles
jerked and pulled.

Once.

Marked - 31

Once he'd been happy, excited. The change was coming,
and his life would be whole. He would find his mate and
he would change.

The howl came again, closer this time. Barker was
coming.

Tears streaked his cheeks and he fought to breathe. He'd
wanted to be enough, he'd wanted to change, he'd
wanted to make Barker proud.

Barker came bounding out of the woods, huge and dark
gray, eyes shining.

"Beautiful." He held out his bleeding arm, making a
clear offer. "Please." Make it stop.

Barker whimpered and his tongue came out, began to
lick at his wound.

He groaned, eyes rolling as his muscles jerked. "Please."

Still whimpering, Barker kept licking his arm, cleaning
away the blood.

"Always a fucking he... oh, fuck..." He writhed,
screaming as the pain stole his sense.

Barker threw his head back and howled, then the big
muzzle pressed against his chest, pushing at him.

"Kill me." The wolf was inside him, desperate to get out.

Barker yipped and snarled, kept pushing at him.

Marked - 32

"Asshole! Kill me!" He tried to yell, but he didn't have
the breath to scream.

Another whimper sounded, Barker head-butting his
chest again. Then his mate barked and started to lick his
face.

He groaned, blinking into those amazing, glowing eyes.
"Beauty."

A low growl sounded, almost the same as he'd heard
when they made love.

"I... I wanted to run with you, to be yours." He sobbed
the words out.

Barker put his head back and howled again, then
bounded away a few steps before coming back and
pushing.

"What do you want?"

Barker bounded toward him and then away again,
barking.

"What? Just... If you're not going to bite me, just go
play." He started crawling back for the cabin, body
dragging on the ground.

Barker pushed under him, pushing him up.

He howled -- in pain, in frustration, in pure,
unadulterated fury. Barker drew back and answered his
howl. Blood dripped from his fingers, down his arm,

Marked - 33

staining the ground. Barker whimpered again, licking
his arm, his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, mate. Please. Go. Just go. I
promise, I'll never bother you again. Never." He began
to sway, the sound of his heart beating odd and so loud
in his ears.

Growling, Barker pushed the wet nose against his chest
again and again. He reached out, fingers on Barker's fur,
tangling in the silky mass, holding on. Barker rumbled
at him, rubbed against him.

"Mate..."

So soft.

Barker yipped, pushed closer to him.

"I don't know how to help you." He eased himself down,
too tired to move another inch.

Barker curled around him, soft and warm, panting
softly.

"Mate." His heart beat slower and he pressed into
Barker's warmth. "Love."

Barker licked his face.

Cody thought he'd close his eyes, just for a few minutes,
stay right here and rest. Barker seemed inclined to stay
with him, the big wolf soft and warm, making him feel
protected and safe.

Marked - 34

"Please let me die here. Happy." If there were gods,
they'd hear him.

Please, let there be gods.

***

Barker snuffled and sneezed, the grass tickling his nose.
He was curled up on the ground. He blinked -- he didn't
usually sleep during his time as a wolf. Last night had
been different, though. Last night he'd stayed with his
mate.

Growling a little, he half sat, realizing that Cody was
there with him, curled up with him. He grunted,
frowning at the sight of the cut on Cody's arm. What the
hell was Cody doing out here instead of safely locked in
the cabin?

His mate slept hard, face relaxed, peaceful, and for half
a second, Barker didn't want to kill the little fuck. That
peace in the way of what he knew had been a painful to
the soul night was the only reason he didn't wake Cody
right then and there and tear him a new one.

There had to be an answer. Had to be. No one would
keep the man alive so long, in so much agony, if there
wasn't an answer. He was going to find it, too.

He stretched, the sun warming his skin.

Cody's eyes cracked open, looked at him. "You don't
follow orders worth a fuck."

Marked - 35

"I don't follow orders worth a fuck? You're the one who
didn't fucking lock the door, who came out here where
anything could have come along and killed you."

"You were supposed to do it. You just had to be a
fucking hero, didn't you?"

Growling, he rolled over onto Cody and grabbed his
neck in one hand. "You wanted me to kill you? You set
me up to do it, didn't you?"

Cody didn't flinch away. "Set you up? I asked. Nicely.
It's your job, mate, to put me out of my misery."

He shook his head. "I'm not doing that. You were made
this way for a reason. We're going to find it."

"What reason? What? Am I supposed to wander and
hurt forever? For what? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Those eyes seemed to have fire in them, and Barker
swore he could hear the wolf, see it. "We'll get you
fixed."

One eyebrow arched. "You think that'll help?"

He punched Cody in the arm. "You know that's not what
I meant." He thought Cody had lost it, just a touch. So
many years of pain would do it, but still.

Cody bit the air right above his chest. "Stop hitting."

"Then stop being an idiot."

"I'm not. I should go. This whole thing is insane."

Marked - 36

"No. It isn't. I should have done it a long time ago."

"Done what? Watch me piss myself and moan? Lose a
night of running?"

Look at his mate, at that fury. They'd need that fire, he
was sure.

"I should have stayed with you. Fought for you. Looked
for a cure for you."

"I don't think there's a cure."

"There has to be." He stood up and held his hand out to
Cody.

Cody reached for him, the knife wound on the lean arm
almost healed. He grabbed Cody's hand and hauled him
up, examining the wound. They didn't heal faster as
humans. They didn't. Cody's beast was in there; they
needed to figure out how to get it out, how to get his
body to finish the change.

"You're my mate and we're going to find a way to make
you better."

Cody snorted, turned from him, and stalked inside.

"Don't you walk away from me!" He snarled and
followed Cody in.

"Don't bitch." The door swung back, almost hitting him.

Marked - 37

"You spent years spying on me, I think I'm allowed a
few bitch sessions."

"Nope." Cody just kept walking away from him. Where
the fuck did the man think there was to go?

He kept following, hungry and growly and ready to
throw Cody up against the wall and either fight him or
fuck him. Cody's ass was still the finest he'd ever seen,
lean and tight and pale. He wanted to bite it, fuck it,
bury himself inside. He walked right up to the man and
grabbed himself a double handful.

"Hey!" Cody stepped forward and he held on.

His. This was his. He growled, squeezed Cody's ass
tighter.

"Hands off." Those tight muscles jerked, felt so good.

"I don't think so." He squeezed again, hard. "These are
mine."

"Bullshit." Fuck. Fuck, his wolf was at the surface,
hungry, demanding its mate.

"I'll prove it." He whirled Cody around and took that
mouth.

Cody tasted like heaven, like truth, and he needed. He'd
never had his mate, not in the midst of the changing, not
with the moon heavy just on the other side of the earth.
He grabbed Cody's ass again, hauling him up close as he
devoured his mate. He couldn't be gentle, be careful, and
from Cody's response, he didn't need to be.

Marked - 38

He pushed them to the floor as he spread Cody's ass
cheeks, pushing a finger into that little hole. His. His
mate. His lover. Barker needed as much now as he had
ten years ago, when they had been new to this, desperate
to mate and change. He quickly pushed in another
finger, knowing he wasn't going to be able to hold back
for much longer.

"P...pushy bastard." Yes. And Cody needed him, wanted
him.

"Uh-huh." He pushed Cody's legs back, leaving that
sweet little hole exposed.

"This isn't a good idea."

Yes, yes it was. It was a fabulous idea. "You thought it
was a good idea the other day." He snugged up close,
pressing his cock against Cody's hole.

"I..." Cody moaned, that tiny, wrinkled hole kissing the
tip of his prick.

"You want me." He nudged a bit forward, holding back
with all his might.

"Do I?" The very tip of his cock spread Cody the tiniest
bit.

"You do. I can smell you." Groaning, he held it right
there and then pushed in, sinking into the most amazing
heat. Cody fit him, the perfection and pure, undeniable
rightness of this act hitting him square. He stared into
Cody's glowing eyes. "Mate. Mate. Mate."

Marked - 39

"Yes." Not even Cody could deny that, not now, not in
this space. Not with him buried deep.

He started thrusting, humping hard into his mate's body.
Those long fingers dug into his shoulders, near-claw
digging into him. It felt so fucking good. He put his
head back and howled out his pleasure.

Cody jerked on his cock, body moving frenetically on
him.

"That's it. Mate. Fuck." He swore he could see Cody's
face begin to change.

"Mine," he snarled. "Never going to leave you."

"You have to..." Cody's body gripped his prick tight.

"No." He slammed in as he said it.

Cody's eyes rolled back, a deep growl vibrating in the
lean chest.

"Yes. Mate. Mine." He leaned down, bit into Cody's
shoulder, then nuzzled the long neck, teeth threatening.
His hips kept pumping, taking what was his.

"Fuck. Fuck. Barker..." He could feel Cody's heartbeat
in his lips.

"Mate." He growled and bit at Cody's neck, marking his
lover.

Marked - 40

Blood coated his lips, and he bit harder, shaking Cody
the tiniest bit. His mate. His. Sharp barks filled the air,
Cody calling for him. He growled and barked back,
giving himself to his mate.

Cody's ass squeezed him, milked his prick, and for the
barest second, he could swear he saw wolf. He howled
again, moving faster, harder, his mate making him wild.
He smelled Cody's need, felt his lover's orgasm all
around his prick.

"Fuck! Yes!" That was his! He howled again, his spunk
filling Cody as he slammed into the sweet body one
more time.

Cody blinked at him, the glow barely visible between
the heavy eyelids. Naptime, but damn it, he didn't want
to wake up alone again.

"No running away this time. Promise me."

"I can't do that. I have to do what's best for you, mate."

"Then I have only one option." He grabbed one of the
pillows and tugged off the pillowcase. Then he used it to
tie Cody's wrists together.

"What the fuck?" Oh, look at that outrage.

"You've been deciding what's best for me for ten years.
It's my turn now." He dragged Cody onto the bed, and
then took the other pillowcase and attached Cody's
bound wrists to the headboard.

Marked - 41

"This is ridiculous!" Cody snarled, fought, but the man
was tired, worn down, and Barker had him.

"No. You running away from me every time is
ridiculous. This is me making sure you'll still be here
after our nap."

"Let me up, you motherfucker." The fight was lessening,
Cody easing.

He curled around his mate's body, petting Cody's skin.

"I hate you..." Cody was stretching, bunched muscles
relaxing.

"Yeah, I hate you, too." He kissed his mark on Cody's
neck. "Mate."

"Bas...bastard." Cody's eyes were closed now, breath
evening out.

"Uh-huh."

He patted Cody's stomach and then slipped his hand
around Cody's hip. They could figure everything out
later. Right now, he and his mate could rest.

Marked - 42

Chapter Four

Cody was running, legs driving his paws into the dirt,
the moon calling him. He howled, happy, moving faster.
His mate's howl answered his. Yes! Yes, running.
Going. Going.

He could feel Barker's breath on his neck, his mate so
close. He chirruped and barked, encouraging Barker to
go faster. They did, Barker chuffing, breathing hard
down his neck. He could feel his blood pounding
through his veins, feel his mate near his tail.

Barker started petting him, stroking his fur. He panted,
tail wagging, tongue lolling. So good.

"Mmm. Mate." Barker bit at his neck.

He growled softly, not wanting to wake up, not yet.

Barker's heat was all along his back, his mate's thick
cock pressing against his ass.

Please. "Let me dream."

"We're together here."

Yes, but in his dream, he was real.

He sighed and opened his eyes, looking at Barker.
"Have we slept long?"

Barker shrugged. "Long enough I'm hungry."

Marked - 43

"Go eat." Barker was always hungry. He had the
metabolism of a wolf.

"I brought food. Canned beans and shit. A cooler with
drinks."

He frowned up; his hands were free. "Did you remember
a can opener?"

"There's one here already."

Cody rolled up, heading outside to do his business.

"You want beans or beans?" Barker called after him.

"I don't care." It all tasted like dirt.

Barker trotted up after him. "Who pissed in your
cornflakes?"

"Nobody. I just gotta piss."

"Well, I'll let you do that."

"Thanks ever so."

He hurried into the woods, trying to forget how it had
felt to run, to have a tail. Barker kept following him,
standing next to him as they relieved themselves.

As soon as he was done, he headed back toward the
cabin, toward the clearing.

"So you're just going to ignore me now?"

Marked - 44

"No. No, I just. Fuck. I just don't know what to say."
What to do.

"You can say good morning. You can say it's good to
wake up together."

"I was dreaming I could shift."

"We'll find a way to make it real, baby."

"I wish." He did. He scooped up his pocketknife,
sticking it into the ground to clean it off.

"Hey." Barker grabbed his shoulders and looked into his
eyes. "We're going to find a way."

"There isn't a way. If there was, I would have found it."

"Tell me what you've done."

"What? I've been to healers, Elders. I've tried bleeding
out, hunting, hurting."

"Have you tried scientists? Magic?"

"Because you know I'm dying to be strapped to a table
and experimented on."

"No, it seems to me you're dying for me to off you. Not
going to happen. We'll go back to the healers, the
Elders, we'll research. I'm done with living my life
without my mate."

"I..." Well, shit. What was he supposed to say to that?

Marked - 45

"Yeah, you heard me." Barker grabbed him close and
kissed him.

He opened up, the kiss enough to derail him, distract
him. He'd never been this easy in his skin during the full
moon. Ever. Barker hauled him up off the ground, still
kissing him as Barker pulled them into the cottage.

One more time. That's what he told himself after each
and every time he gave in to his need.

The bed hadn't even been made yet, but Barker pushed
him down on it again.

"Barker." Horny ass.

"Shut up and let me love you."

He stopped, met Barker's eyes. "Don't say that." He
didn't want Barker to lie. They mated for life; Barker
had to need him. The man didn't love him.

"What?" Barker growled at him.

"You don't love me. Don't say it."

"You don't know that."

He looked at Barker, eyes feeling like they were
burning. "Bullshit! You knew. You knew they were
coming for me! I was a fucking kid, man! I'd lived with
the Clan my entire life and I was fucking scared."

He stepped forward, hand slamming in the center of
Barker's chest. "Do you have any idea what it's like? To

Marked - 46

have your family, your father, your brothers shooting
bullets at your feet? I had fifty fucking dollars and the
clothes on my back. Do you know what I had to do? To
eat? To survive? With these fucking eyes?"

He shoved Barker away, snarling. "Don't say you love
me, because I can't believe love would do that." He
stepped away, shook his head. "You want me. Need me.
Fine. It's a biological fucking imperative. Leave the lies
out of it."

"I was just a kid, too, Cody. Okay, I didn't have it as
hard as you did, but it wasn't fucking easy for me, either.
It fucking hurt to have you ripped from my life. And
yeah, I didn't do anything about it because I was scared,
too." Barker growled and advanced on him. "If just one
of those times you'd stayed, maybe it wouldn't have
been ten years before we started working on this
together."

"Leave me the fuck alone." He turned his back on
Barker. He didn't want to hear how the man had hurt,
too. He didn't care. He didn't care.

"I will not. And I know you don't really want me to, or
you wouldn't have kept coming back to the city to perch
above me and watch me."

"I didn't have a choice. I needed to see you, to know you
were well."

"You did have a choice. You could have stayed, you
could have showed yourself more than you did."

Marked - 47

He shook his head. No. No, he couldn't have. He'd have
lost what was left of his mind.

"I should have fought harder, mate, but I was just a kid,
too. It takes a stronger man than I was to stand up to
them. I'm stronger now. And you're not running away
anymore. We'll work on this together."

His smile was bitter and he was glad Barker couldn't see
it. He would run. He had to. It was what he did. He was
Cast Out.

"Meanwhile, we need to eat." Barker moved to the tiny
counter and pulled out a little portable stove, checked
the gas.

He dressed, found his dark glasses, his duffel bag with
his booze. "Will you stay out here all three days?"

Barker turned around and looked at him. "What the hell
are you doing?"

"Getting a drink." He waved the bottle.

"You're better off with food." Barker opened a couple of
cans of beans.

He rolled his eyes and took a long swig, the burn easing
the growing tension from his muscles.

Barker didn't say anything else, just poured the beans
into a pot and plonked it on the burner. Man looked like
he could use a belt or two.

"You want some?"

Marked - 48

"Not on an empty stomach, and I usually don't on the
change."

"Yeah. Does it feel good?" He shook his head. Why
ask? Why torture himself?

"What? The change?"

"Yeah." He took another sip, refusing to look at Barker.

"It feels like something's missing. Except last night. Last
night felt almost perfect."

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak over the huge
lump of shame in his throat.

Barker stirred the beans a few times and then grabbed
two spoons and brought the pot over to the old green
couch. He put the pot on the coffee table and sat. "Help
me eat this. You'll feel better with food in your belly."

There was no way he could swallow, but he went and
sat. Barker's hand slid over to his knee, stroking his skin.
Cody ducked Barker's gaze, squeezed his eyes shut and
focused on breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

Barker growled. "My touch can't be that awful."

"No. No, it's fucking heaven." Did he say that out loud?

"Good." Looked like he had; there was a wealth of
satisfaction in Barker's voice.

He stood up, headed for the door. "I need to walk."

Marked - 49

"No. You need to eat." Barker growled and was next to
him, grabbing his arm before he could blink. "Don't
make me force feed you."

"Don't snarl at me!"

"Then stop trying to run away!"

"I can't!" He didn't know how.

"Sure you can, you just don't run whenever you see me."

"You..." He whipped around and stared at Barker. "You
are insane."

"What? It's not insane to want to be with your mate."

"It is if your mate is broken."

"Not when I want to fix you."

"I can't. You can't. I've tried." He found himself stepping
closer; he couldn't help himself.

"We haven't tried, though." Barker's hands slid around
his arms and tugged him even closer.

"It won't work." Barker was so fucking warm.

"You don't know that." Barker pulled him right up
against all those muscles, hands moving to slide along
his back.

Marked - 50

"I..." His eyes closed, a deep moan vibrating through
him. Fuck. Yes.

"Need me. You might not want to admit it, but that's
why you've come so close time after time. You need
me."

The words rumbled in his ears, the warm fingers landing
on his ass, squeezing lightly. "I hate you." He leaned in,
cheek on Barker's shoulder.

"I know." Barker kissed the top of his head. "You're
mine, though. And I'm yours."

He wanted that to be enough, but he knew it wasn't. Not
for him, not for Barker.

"We'll figure it out, Cody. Two heads are better than
one."

He snorted softly. "What are you? A counselor in your
day job?"

"Fuck off. I just know we can't keep going on like this."

"You could have killed me last night, you know?"

"That's not an option." Barker's arms tightened around
him.

"You were beautiful." He whispered the words.

"I could feel you, inside."

"I just hurt."

Marked - 51

"We'll get you fixed. We will."

"Then do it."

Barker growled at him. He sighed. Like it was that
fucking easy.

Barker tilted his head, took his mouth. For this once --
only once more -- Cody let him. The kiss was long and
slow and devastatingly intense. He found himself getting
lost in it, arched over Barker's arms, his worry
dissipating with a pop.

Barker pushed his shirt out of his waistband, hands hot
against his skin. The touch was magic, fascinating, and
he needed it. Barker found his nipples, pinching one and
then the other, the touches like electricity. His snarled,
teeth baring, the little ache perfect. Barker snarled in
reply, teeth grazing along his lips.

Son of a bitch. Hot bastard. Lover. Mate. His.

Barker grabbed his ass and tugged him back over to the
bed, fingers snagging in his clothing. He went eagerly,
hands running over Barker's skin. Something tore, but he
didn't care, not once Barker's hands were on his skin and
that fine body pressed up against him.

"Please. I need." He didn't want to think anymore.

"I've got you." Barker pressed him down into the
mattress, mouth covering his.

Marked - 52

He opened up, let himself have this fully, completely,
his entire body aching -- but from need, not shame.
Barker slid between his legs, cock finding his hole and
nudging it, pushing against him.

"Please." He bore down, took Barker in.

"So fucking tight, mate." Barker pushed in and in, filling
him up so good.

"Need." He did, fiercely. Wildly.

Nodding, Barker started to fuck him, cock driving into
him nice and hard, just like he needed. He'd never been
fucked during the full moon. Never. And it was so good.
Barker's eyes glowed down at him, low growls and deep
rumbles coming from his mate's throat.

He knew his eyes matched Barker's, and he arched,
demanding it, demanding more and harder and oh, fuck
yeah. His mate gave it to him, gave him everything, hard
and fast and strong. The pleasure was huge,
overwhelming him, and he didn't fight it, let it take him.

Barker howled, the sound calling to something deep,
deep inside him. His voice answered Barker's, the sound
tearing from him. They humped and rutted together,
bodies twisting, trying to merge into one.

"Help me. Fuck. Help me." He wasn't sure if he was
making sense at all.

Barker's hand wrapped around his cock, tugging it hard
with every thrust into his body. His orgasm was caught
inside him, trapped, swelling and filling him. Barker's

Marked - 53

mouth closed on his, the kiss leaving him absolutely
breathless. He screamed out in pure need, pure
frustration.

Faster, harder, Barker slammed into him endlessly. The
tension circled inside him, spun within him, faster and
faster, more and more maddening. Growling, Barker bit
his neck hard, marking him where anyone could see.

He sobbed, then Barker bit again, teeth sinking in,
punching through his skin, and he screamed, seed
pulsing out of him. Barker's spunk pushed into him as he
came, the howl filling the cabin.

Everything in him shuddered, shook; he bit at the air.
Barker's mouth stayed open on his neck, breath hot
against his skin. He tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"I have you, mate."

His eyes rolled, and he keened. Barker answered the
sound, with him, right there.

Something inside him twisted, growled, trying to escape.

Barker stayed buried, mouth open on his throat. "Mate."

He nodded, yipping, trying to agree.

"Yes." Barker's voice growled and rumbled, vibrated
against his skin.

He needed to move, to run. Something.

Marked - 54

Barker slid out of his body and looked down at him,
"Come outside with me, mate. Into the woods."

He looked at the food, then nodded, stood, nose
twitching. Barker grabbed his hand and pulled him up,
not even letting him get dressed again before going out
the front door and running with him into the woods. He
groaned, toes digging into the dirt, the scents of the
forest overwhelming.

Barker moved faster and faster, tugging him along as
they moved deeper into the forest. He kept up, legs
muscles burning, heart pounding, and it all felt so good.
Barker put his head back as they ran and howled, the
sound again calling to something deep inside him. An
answer tore out of him, seeming to split his chest.

Little yips and howls came from Barker in reply, even a
breathless chuff. Mate. His mate. He laughed, the sound
completely inhuman and odd, but happy. They just went
and went, Barker running them deeper into the forest.

The sunlight was dimmer here, dappled, the world black
and white and gray. He hadn't thought he would be able
to run so far and so long, but somehow, with Barker, it
was easy. They stopped, panting, ending on hands and
knees, hands like claws in the fallen leaves.

Barker laughed, rubbing their cheeks together. He licked
Barker's chin, growling happily. Mate. Barker bit at his
neck, a happy growl matching his own. Those teeth
found that same mark, the sting wild, sharp. Barker's
growls got louder, vibrating inside him.

Marked - 55

His head ducked, and he offered his mate his nape.
Barker took it, teeth sinking in, the heat from his breath
warming Cody through. His body shuddered, his spine
arching up. Barker's growls got louder, possessive.

He yipped, hips canting up and offering his submission.
Alpha. Mate. Barker laughed, hands running over him,
rubbing hard over his shoulders and along his spine. He
arched, stretching hard, the touch delicious, perfect.

"You're beautiful," murmured Barker, that great, growly
voice almost making him shiver.

He leaned over, licked his mate's wrist, panting at the
flavor. Barker held his hand out, offering his palm for
more licking. Mate. Mate. The flavor filled him, soothed
him, and he flopped down, relaxing on the soft ground.

Barker landed on the ground with him, wrapping around
him.

"Mate," whispered Barker. "So good, mate."

He chuffed his agreement.

So good.

So good, mate.

Marked - 56

Chapter Five

Barker lay curled around his mate. His very furry, four-
legged wolf mate. Somehow, someway, Cody had
changed while they'd run, turning into a gorgeous,
russet-coated wolf. The man was beautiful. And a wolf
during full sunlight. It shouldn't have been possible.

And yet, there Cody was.

He rubbed the beautiful, soft fur, giving Cody some
loving. Cody's tail wagged, tongue lolling. The closed
eyes cracked open, glinting at him.

"Hey, mate." He grinned, rubbed Cody's nose. That
tongue lapped at his fingers, hot, wet. He could howl
with joy. Look at his mate. "Beautiful. God, you're so
beautiful."

Cody rolled over, head landing in his lap, heavy and
perfect.

He kept petting, talking softly. "I don't get why you
changed during the day, but I think the important thing
here is that you changed, huh? Who knew running in the
forest would do it?"

Clay blinked up at him, chirruping softly.

He tilted his head. "You aren't, like, stuck like that now,
are you? Because it would suck if you finally changed,
but you were a wolf while I was a man and vice versa."

Cody looked at him, barked once, then scrambled to his
feet, eyes rolling.

Marked - 57

"Hey, hey." Barker went onto his knees, hands reaching
for his mate.

The little barks were frightened now, and he realized
suddenly that Cody hadn't noticed. Cody didn't know.

"Mate. Love. It's okay. You've shifted. You made it!"
He stroked his hands along Cody's flanks.

Those lean muscles shuddered, shivering against him,
pushing into his hands.

He stroked and rubbed, nuzzling his cheeks against
Cody's furry ones. "This is a good thing, Cody. This is
what we wanted. You can shift. You shifted! In the
daylight!"

Cody panted, body shivering, wavering between wolf
and human.

"Okay, mate. Imagine kissing me. You need to be
human to do that, because trust me, I'm not going to kiss
that muzzle of yours, so you need to be human for that,
okay?"

Cody's head bobbed, the change hard, unsteady, leaving
Cody boneless, gasping for air, and mostly human.

"Okay. Okay. See? There you go." He touched Cody's
naked body, hands sliding, making sure his lover was
okay.

"M...mate." Cody blinked at him, obviously dazed.

Marked - 58

"Yeah. Yeah, that's me." He laughed and pressed their
lips together. Wow. Just... wow.

Cody's eyes weren't glowing. They were human, blue,
normal. Barker gasped.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Your eyes..."

Cody closed his eyes, turned away from him.

He tugged Cody back around. "Look at me, babe. Look
at me."

Cody blinked up, looked at him with those pretty eyes.
Those normal eyes.

"Your eyes are blue."

"Really?" Cody blinked, hands lifting to his face. "You
promise?"

"I swear to God, Cody. You have blue eyes. And you
were just a wolf. You shifted."

"But... But I can't. It's not nighttime."

"I know. Weird, isn't it? But you changed, plain as...
well, day. And now your eyes are blue. My God, your
eyes are blue."

"What..." Cody started shivering, chest heaving. "I. I.
I..."

Marked - 59

Barker wrapped around his mate, holding on.

"I don't. I can't..." The lean muscles were heaving, the
wiry body trying to shift again.

Fuck. Barker pressed his mouth on Cody's, pushing his
tongue in.

Cody grabbed him, kissed him back, then pulled back,
eyes glowing. "I changed?"

"You changed. I think you're getting ready to do it
again. Can you feel it?"

"I feel... breathless."

"But not in pain. Not anymore, right?"

"No. No, tight. I feel tight."

"That's the full moon. Even when it's on the other side of
the world, it calls to the beast, makes it heavy, big."

"Yes. Heavy. It's heavy." Cody was panting, face trying
to elongate.

"Change if you need to. Let it happen -- don't fight it."
He couldn't believe this was happening in broad
daylight.

"I don't know ho-oooooooooooooooooooo." The word
turned into a howl, his mate growing heavy, more solid
in his arms.

It was beautiful to see the long body settle into its form.

Marked - 60

"Oh, mate. Beautiful. Really. You are."

Cody wagged, tongue lolling. Laughing, he scratched
Cody's ears and petted the soft fur.

"I can't believe it, mate."

Cody leaned into him, tongue on his thigh.

"You're going to have to wait until tonight to run with
me, mate." Another horrible thought occurred to him.
What if Cody could only change during the day? Barker
could only change at night. That would be... well, better
than Cody not being able to change at all.

Cody chuffed, nudged him. He wasn't sure how much
Cody understood, how much Cody heard.

"I can run a little, I guess." He chuckled, looking down
at himself. "Back to the cabin before I burn anything
important, huh?"

Cody barked, bounced, and he laughed at the pure,
unadulterated joy.

"Come on, then!" He turned and started to run back the
way they'd come.

Cody nipped at his heels, chuffing, barking at him.

"I'm going as fast as I can!"

Cody stopped, sniffed, ears twitching. Someone was
hunting.

Marked - 61

"We could go together tonight, mate."

Hunting. He could hunt with his mate. He wanted to
scream with joy. So he did. He ran and ran, Cody at his
heels, and he shouted to the trees, to the earth and the
sky. His mate! His mate was whole! He shouted harder,
ran harder, laughed as Cody nipped at his heels.

They hit the cabin, Cody leaping, jumping on the bed.

He shook his head, panting hard. "You're going to have
to change back if you want that, mate."

Cody rolled, tail thumping. He pounced on his mate,
fingers digging into the lovely, thick hair. The belly fur
was incredibly soft, thick, white. Beautiful.

"Mate." Fuck, he was so proud.

Cody's paws stretched, batting the air. He could see
Cody trying to change again, trying to shift.

"Yeah, that's it. It'll be easier with practice. Think of
being human, of kissing me with real lips."

Those pretty eyes fastened onto his. So fine.

"Come on, Mate. I want to celebrate with you. Kiss you.
Take you. Revel in the fact that you changed!"

He could see Cody, the human, coming to the fore, so
close.

"You can do it, mate. It just takes practice."

Marked - 62

Cody panted, slowly, painstakingly coming back to him.

"There you are." He pressed kisses over Cody's face,
then took his mouth. "God, you're something else, Cody.
Mate."

"I shifted." Cody looked stunned.

He laughed and rolled Cody beneath him, rubbing
against the warm body. "You did!"

"I did. Did you see?"

"Of course I saw! You're gorgeous, mate."

Cody kissed him. "What changed? What happened?"

"I don't know. But you changed without the moon.
During the day. Full sun. While we were running..."

"We don't change in the daylight."

"I know. But you did." Of course, he was still worried it
might mean that Cody couldn't change under the moon's
light.

"Still a freak." Cody winked, and he heard the worry in
those words.

"Hey, you can change. Let's take that as a good sign,
okay? Let's enjoy that." He kissed Cody hard again.
"And you're mine."

"Stubborn." Cody wrapped around him, arms and legs.

Marked - 63

"Yeah, well, it works for me." He held onto Cody just as
tightly.

"Mate. I changed."

"You did. My mate. I can't wait for sundown."

"What... what if I don't?"

"You will." He put everything into the two words.

Cody smiled at him and, for the first time in... forever,
Cody trusted him. He pressed their lips together,
opening and pushing his tongue in.

No matter what happened, they were together.

***

They ate. They slept. They slept hard. Cody hadn't slept
without pain in a decade, so he wallowed in it. Barker
said he changed three times in his sleep. In his sleep,
like it was easy.

Barker was curled up around him, hand on his belly.
Every now and then, Barker would nuzzle his neck,
breathe in. He hummed softly, eyes closing again, the
relief of being pain free almost making him light.

"Smiling. Mate. Can you feel the moon coming?"

"All I know is that it doesn't hurt."

"That's wonderful, Mate." Barker laughed.

Marked - 64

He nodded, chuffed softly. "I'm glad you were here."
Even if it never happened again, he was glad Barker had
been part of it.

"Me, too. You changed during the day, mate! I just can't
believe it. Except that I saw it."

"Do you think it'll happen again?" He wanted it to. He
wanted to change with the moon.

"The sun's going down. It'll happen. You and me, we're
going to run. We're going to hunt tonight together."

He squeezed Barker's fingers. "What if I don't know
how to hunt?"

"I'll teach you, mate."

He nodded, decided to just let go for a minute or two
and stop worrying.

Barker rubbed their cheeks together and whispered,
"Everything's going to be just fine, mate." Then Barker
took his mouth, body rubbing against his, pushing him
into the mattress.

It was so easy to open, to feel without the constant
pressure of shame and pain everywhere. Barker tasted
like pleasure and excitement, and his hands felt like
heaven on Cody's skin. His hands started exploring,
searching Barker's chest, tugging on the dark curls.
Grunting, Barker pushed against him, their cocks
bumping, sliding.

Marked - 65

He groaned. "Fuck my mouth." He wanted to know if
Barker tasted different.

Growling, Barker broke their kiss and climbed his body,
knees coming to rest against his pits. The thick cock,
drop of liquid on the tip, was right there for him.

"Mate. Want you." He grinned up, hands drawing
Barker in. The flavor exploded inside him and he
growled, suddenly ravenous.

Barker grabbed hold of the headboard and pushed his
cock in deep, a low sound torn from his throat.

Hungry. He was so hungry. He pulled hard, swallowed
around the tip of Barker's prick.

"Fuck! Mate!" Growling, Barker began to rock his hips,
cock sliding out and back in again.

He sucked harder, faster, needing more than he'd ever
needed this. Barker seemed to pick up on his hunger, the
thick cock pushing in faster and faster, spreading his lips
wide. The flavors were huge, wild, like Barker, but
more. Bigger.

Barker moaned and groaned, pushing in almost
desperately. He clamped down, lips around the base of
Barker's cock, pulling hard.

"Mate!" Barker cried out, humping into his mouth a
couple of times before come poured down his throat.

Cody's cock bobbed, his balls tightening as he was filled
with the scent and taste of his mate. One of Barker's

Marked - 66

hands slid through his hair, pushing it back over his
face. He licked and lapped, cleaning that fat prick off.

"Fucking good, mate." Barker pulled slowly out. "What
do you want?"

He grabbed Barker's hand, got it around his aching cock.
It wouldn't take much. A pleased sound rumbled from
Barker's throat, the hand around his cock tugging and
tight. He met Barker's eyes, panting.

"Mate." Barker growled out the word.

"Yes. Yes, your mate. Fuck, tell me I'm not dreaming."

"You're not dreaming, Cody. Doesn't this feel real?"
Barker squeezed his cock tight.

"Yes. God, yes. Mate, I changed! I don't hurt and the
moon is coming!"

"It is. Soon. Come for me before the sun sets, mate."

He nodded, his toes curling. "Harder."

Barker rubbed the tip of his prick, pushing into his slit
before the jacking off got harder.

"Fuck. Fuck, I. Mate." Mate.

"Mine." Barker put his head back and howled.

He shot, his entire body jerking with it.

Marked - 67

Groaning, Barker rubbed his come into his belly, eyes
holding his.

"Yours." He moaned, the sound rumbling through him.

"That's right." He could see Barker's eyes begin to glow,
the room getting darker as dusk crept in.

"Tell me I'll change, too."

"You will. We'll change together and we'll run, mate.
We'll run through the forest and hunt and howl at the
moon."

"You swear it?" He would believe. He would.

"I swear it, Mate."

Barker's eyes were getting brighter, his voice even
rougher.

"M-m-m-m-m-mate."

He groaned, his muscles rolling, and he tensed in
anticipation of pain. When it didn't come, he barked,
happy. Barker leaped from the bed, barking in reply,
calling to him. He bounced over, tail wagging furiously.
Barker bit at his muzzle, growling and barking.

Mate! Mate! His world spun and he pounced, nudged,
whined with excitement.

Barker licked him once and then bounded away,
barking, calling him to follow his mate into the woods.
His paws dug into the ground, claws catching as they

Marked - 68

ran. Barker turned, running a circle around him, chuffing
happily. He followed, head down, nostrils twitching.

Barker began to weave through the trees, following his
nose. He followed, curious, sniffing. Barker barked and
waited there, vibrating. Cody crept closer, nose to the
ground, then he smelled it, suddenly, violently. Food.
Food. Barker yipped, nosed him, and took off. Food.

He followed, running at his Alpha's heels, entire focus
on the hunt, on the prey, the... rabbit. Rabbit. He slowed,
getting deep in his haunches. His Alpha was ahead of
him, perfectly still, ready to leap. Both ears twitched, his
Alpha's nose scenting madly.

His mate leapt and he circled as fast as he could, his
body knowing to keep the prey in range of those
flashing, sharp teeth. The scent of blood made him
growl. Barker took down the rabbit, looking smug and
licking his jowls. The belly was torn open, his mate
taking the tender meats inside before stepping back, the
offer to feast clear.

He yipped, dancing for a moment in pure ecstasy before
he snapped and bit, the scents and flavors filling him.
Hunting! Eating the kill! How his belly rumbled and
snarled as he filled it for the first time like this.

His mate barked, the sound joyful. He licked his paws,
his muzzle, his nose. Good. So good.

Barker licked his cheek and then bounded off, calling to
him. More running! More hunting! Everything in him
screamed for him to follow that happy tail.

Marked - 69

So he did.

***

Sunrise found Barker panting by a stream, worn out
from hunting and running and playing with his mate.

It had always been a pleasure to run through the woods,
but to do so with his mate... well, it would make him
angry to know that he'd somehow missed this for ten
years, that it had been stolen from him and Cody, except
that anger would take away from the joy he now felt.

He lay down and let the sun melt away his wolf, his
body changing once more into human.

Man, they had quite the hike to get back to the cabin --
they needed to end their nights closer to home.

He turned to share the thought with Cody, gasping when
he saw the lovely wolf that was his mate. Once again,
the moon had gone, but Cody was still a wolf.

Reaching out, he scratched behind Cody's ears. "I've
never seen a shifter in the sunlight before you." It was
amazing. Doubly so now that he wasn't afraid that Cody
was cursed with being able to change during the sunlight
but not the moonlight.

Cody panted, tail thumping the ground.

"You can shift back if you want to, though, right?"
There was just that one niggling doubt.

Those glowing eyes looked at him, confused.

Marked - 70

Shit. What if... no. No, Cody had been able to change
back and forth before. "Shift for me, mate. Become
human."

Cody rumbled softly, panting hard, and he could see it,
see Cody willing the change. No one could do that --
change at will. No one but his amazing mate.

He was laughing and clapping by the time Cody was
done, was human and naked in front of him. "You're
incredible."

Cody blinked up at him. "I shifted."

"Yeah, Cody, you did. Because you wanted to. Not
because the sun or the moon made you, but because you
wanted to."

"I... I'm sore."

"All that running -- using muscles you never have
before. I bet you're sore." He slipped down and sat
behind Cody, started rubbing his lover's shoulders.

"I... We hunted." Cody moaned, head dropping forward.

"We did. We hunted, we ran, we were beasts. All night
long."

"We did. It was real. It didn't hurt." Cody was going to
shake apart in his hands.

Marked - 71

He wrapped his arms around his mate, holding on tight.
"It was real and you're special, mate. You can change
whenever you want to. You're the only one."

The sobs started in a rush, harsh and violent, wracking
Cody's body.

"Cody? Mate? What's wrong?"

"I..."

He ran his hands over Cody -- there wasn't any tension,
any stiff spots. Nothing was broken or bruised, not so far
as he could tell. "Mate!" The word was almost a bark.

"All these years... I... I don't hurt."

"That's a good thing, mate."

Cody nodded and he got it, all of a sudden. The fear, the
pain, the pressure -- everything that had been holding
Cody together was suddenly, unexpectedly gone. He
held on tight to Cody. "It's okay, mate. It's okay. I have
you."

"Have me. Oh, God. Mate."

"Yes. My mate. Never going to let you leave me again."

"You can't promise that."

"Go ahead." He growled at Cody. "Just try and leave
me."

Marked - 72

Cody growled back, and the Alpha rose up in him,
sharper and faster than he'd ever experienced.

He rolled Cody onto his back, throwing himself down
on top of his mate. "Not leaving me. NOT."

"We're in the dirt on the ground."

"So?" A little dirt never hurt any wolf.

"I." Cody blinked at him. "You're different."

"What? I am not!" He was the same growly bastard.
Even if he did have his mate with him now.

"You are. You're different."

"I am not. I'm still me. Just like before." Cody was the
one who was different, those eyes so pretty.

"You are, too." Cody was panting, breathing hard. "Let
me up."

"What are you talking about?" He got up, hauling Cody
up with him.

"You're... I don't know. Hotter. Whatever." Fucking
fickle little bastard, trying to walk away from him.

He snorted. "I was always this hot." He kept hold of
Cody's hand and started heading back for the cabin, the
sun warm and good on his skin.

"Bullshit." Cody relaxed, though. "You growled less."

Marked - 73

"Now I know you're full of it. I've always growled."

"Only a little."

It was his turn to call bullshit. "Okay, maybe you're
fucking different."

Cody looked over at him, eyes rolling.

"You are, mate. You're whole now."

"I'm yours." In a way Cody never had been, never
before.

"You are." He drew Cody in and kissed him, hard. This
was theirs. It belonged to both of them and after ten long
years, they finally had it.

Before, he could cat around, find a man and fuck him
into the ground, dull the urge. Now the thought made
him rumble and the idea of anyone touching Cody made
him snarl. Even just thinking it made him growl, and he
started pulling Cody back to the cabin again

"Barker?" There was a heady mixture of lust and
curiosity in that single word.

"We need a bed." Much as he'd like to make his claim
up against the nearest tree, he figured Cody would
appreciate his holding back.

"For what?"

"What do you think for?" Couldn't Cody feel it? The
need to mate, to merge into his lover.

Marked - 74

He got a wild, toothy grin. "Tiddlywinks?"

He reached down and goosed Cody. Cody snapped at
him, teeth almost grazing his skin. It riled him up, made
him need even more and he pushed Cody up against that
nearest tree, taking that toothy mouth. His mate tasted
like magic, like heat and need and things that he didn't
understand.

"I want you." It was a huge understatement.

"Take me, then." Challenging little fuck.

Growling, he fused their mouths back together, tongue
pushing in as he pressed his mate harder against the tree.
Cody's legs wrapped around his waist, his mate holding
on tight.

"That's fucking it." He nodded and dove back into the
kiss, his fingers finding and pushing into Cody's hole.

The howl that pushed between his lips was almost
enough to make him come right there. He swallowed it
down and shoved his fingers deep, spread them as wide
as he could a few times, working to get Cody's body
ready for his prick. For his claiming. The heat, the
pressure was familiar; he remembered it from the first
time, from the first, wild night.

"Mine." He wanted to howl the word out, but his throat
was wrong for the sound. Instead, he pulled out his
fingers and lined up his prick with Cody's ass.

Marked - 75

"Prove it." Cody's eyes were glowing, the energy
between them fiery, alive.

Growling, snarling, he pushed his cock in, slamming it
home. Cody's cry echoed, birds flying up out of the
trees.

"Yes! Mine!" He pushed in with every word, thrusting
into glorious, tight heat.

"Harder. Harder. Take me." Cody slammed down onto
his cock, body shuddering around him.

Biting at Cody's lips, he ramped up his thrusts, taking
Cody hard. He could taste the copper of Cody's blood,
smell his mate's need. Harder and harder, he pushed into
Cody, spreading the tight ass. Cody's chin lifted, belly
and throat offered to him.

Oh, fuck, his. He leaned in and bit at Cody's neck, teeth
grabbing hold. The smell of come hit his nose even as
Cody's taste filled his mouth. Growling around Cody's
flesh, he came, too, filling his mate with his scent.

Something deep inside him reset; something that had
been broken and wrong and off clicked into place.
Putting back his head, he howled out his pleasure and
his happiness.

Cody's head landed on his chest, heavy, hot. "Mate."

Yes. Yes! Panting, he nodded, patted Cody's back. Yes.
His Mate. Here. Whole. Finally.

Marked - 76

Pressing their foreheads together, he looked into Cody's
eyes and breathed with his mate. It was a perfect
moment, and he wasn't going to let it go.

Marked - 77

Chapter Six

Cody woke up in Barker's arms, the late afternoon sun
pouring through the windows. He kept his eyes closed,
breathed slowly, and let himself enjoy the sensation of
not hurting. He took one deep breath after another, not
sure he believed this was real. Barker muttered
something and tightened his hold.

"Mmm." He let himself trust, let himself lean back into
Barker and be held, be kept close. He never believed this
could happen, but it had. He'd felt it, that click inside his
soul, the release of this terrible, maddening tension.

Barker nuzzled into his neck. "Mate."

"Yes." He nodded, accepting that undeniable fact with
more than a little joy.

Barker's eyes popped open and he grinned. "Look at
you. Look at your eyes."

"What?" His eyes crossed as he tried to see.

"They're a gorgeous blue."

"Yeah?" Oh, God. "No more sunglasses?"

"Only if it's sunny."

All of a sudden it was hard to breathe, to focus. "Mate."

"Yeah. That's me." Barker gave him a grin, easy and
lazy and happy.

Marked - 78

He leaned up, brought their mouths together. Barker
kissed him back eagerly, low sounds filling him. Their
bodies fit together and he moaned, the sounds bubbling
out of him easily.

Barker rolled him onto his back, the big body following,
pushing him down. The weight was good, necessary. He
stretched, spread, his cock beginning to take notice.

"Needy mate."

"Fuck off." He grinned, licking and lapping Barker's
chin.

"That's the idea, babe."

"Your dick's gonna fall off."

"I've got ten fucking years to make up for."

He thought about bringing up the fact that Barker hadn't
exactly been virginal, but the heavy body felt so good
that he didn't want to fuck it up. Yet.

"I know you want me."

"Do you know? How do you know that?" He was
willing to play.

"This gives me a bit of an idea." Barker's hand dropped
to his prick, wrapping around it.

He intended to snap back with something clever and
sharp, but what came out was a soft, low moan. Barker
hummed and pressed their lips together, tongue

Marked - 79

invading, taking. The flavor of his mate filled him, and
he found himself pressing closer, searching for more.

"See?" Barker gave him a smug look and then dove back
into his mouth.

It was all he could do to reach down, pinch Barker's ass.
Barker snarled and bit at his bottom lip. The sting made
him cry out, growl, and bare his teeth. Barker nodded
and growled back, this kiss full of teeth and hunger.

He was pressed into the uncomfortable mattress, his
mate heavy, weighted above him. One kiss after another
stole his breath. The room started swimming, the
universe swinging from side to side.

"Fuck. Mate." Barker moaned and groaned, the words
almost growls and barks as their bodies moved together.

He leaned up, bit Barker's shoulder, shaking his lover
gently. His. It made his mate howl. His cock throbbed,
aching where the tip rubbed against his belly. Barker
rubbed their lower halves together, skin dragging along
his.

"So hot." Had Barker always been so hot?

They rolled off the bed, landing on the floor in a heap.
He blinked down at Barker, elbows landing on either
side the man's head. Wow. Laughing, Barker leaned up
to press more kisses on him.

"Nut." God, that laugh. That laugh. He hadn't heard
Barker really laugh in so long.

Marked - 80

"No, yours."

"I missed you." Every second. Every day.

"Ten fucking years, babe." Barker's mouth went to his
neck, bit hard. "Mine now."

"Fuck!" He arched, body bowing above Barker's.

"That's right, Cody. All mine." Barker growled, teeth
going back to worrying his neck. "Gonna mark you so
everyone knows."

He groaned, pulled back, teasing.

"Not getting away," Barker grumbled.

"Are you sure? I'm very good at it."

"You are. But I'm done letting you escape, letting you
go. I told you that before you suddenly started
changing."

"You did." He met Barker's eyes, then leaned down,
brushed their lips together. "You did. Mate." He loved
the son of a bitch; he always had.

Barker beamed at him. "I can't wait to bring you home
so we can thumb our noses in the Elders' faces."

He reared back. "What?"

"They made you go and they were wrong. Now we can
prove it to them -- we have our lives, Cody, the ones we
dreamed of that first night."

Marked - 81

"No. No, I won't go back. I'll never go back there." Not
now. Not ever.

"What? Why not?" Barker frowned at him. "That's our
home. You came back time and again before."

"I won't see the Elders." He shuddered and pulled away,
stood. They'd burned him, cut him, driven him away.

"They're going to want to see you. I think they're kind of
going to insist." Barker got up, too. "We can't just not go
back. It's our home."

"No. It's your home. I don't have one." That had been
made perfectly, impeccably clear.

"Of course you do -- with me. You're my mate."

He sighed, shook his head. "There isn't a place for me
there."

"Of course there is -- you're my mate." Barker kept
repeating that as if it was the answer to everything.

"I'm not seeing them. Period." Ever.

"Fine. You're still coming home with me. I told you I'm
not letting you get away again." Barker's chin had a
stubborn set to it.

Stubborn was something Cody excelled at. "We'll see."

Barker grabbed his arms and pulled him into a hard kiss.
"You'll see."

Marked - 82

"You can't solve everything with sex." A lot, sure.

"I'm just proving you're mine is all."

He couldn't help but wonder what his life would have
been like if he had been Barker's from the beginning.

Barker frowned at him. "You're thinking." It almost
sounded like an accusation.

"People with brains do that." Sometimes.

"Well, I wouldn't know about that." Barker winked at
him.

"About having brains?" He grinned back, loving that the
tension was easing.

"Yep." Barker crossed his eyes and let his tongue hang
out for a minute before going, "Braiiiiiiiiiiines."

He burst out laughing, launching himself into Barker's
arms. Such a neat man. He'd missed playing, so badly.
They'd played together since they were boys. Barker fell
back onto the bed, bringing him down as well, grinning
at him. His fingers dug into Barker's ribs, searching out
ticklish spots.

"Fuck!" Barker swore and wriggled, trying to get away
from his tickling.

He chuffed softly, digging in deeper. Barker's laughter
got louder; he wriggled harder.

Marked - 83

"I've got you now!" He leaned down, nipped at one
nipple.

Barker jerked, still laughing, hands moving to hold him
in place. Jesus, the son of a bitch was strong. "I've got
you now."

Something deep inside him shivered, his cock going
suddenly, painfully hard. Barker growled softly and
tugged his head up so they were kissing again, the man
eating his mouth like he was the best feast ever. He
shifted, their cocks sliding together, and his eyes rolled.

"Can you feel it?" Barker asked, biting at his chin. "The
beast inside you?"

"Yes." His hands curled, claws dragging along Barker's
sides.

Jerking against him, Barker got toothier, biting at his
chin, his jaw, mouth moving along his neck. Sounds
started sliding out of him, bubbling from him.

"Mine. Mine." The word was growled against his skin,
made a part of each bite. Every time the word echoed in
him, he wanted to scream, to howl. "Could spend the
rest of my life proving it to you."

"Okay." He could live with that, he thought.

That had Barker laughing before those sharp teeth
scraped over his skin, over marks and bruises already
left on his throat by his lover.

"Burns. I'll look like a leper."

Marked - 84

"No, you'll look like you belong to someone."

"No. Not someone. You."

"Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Me. My mate." Barker nipped
his earlobe. "Want you, Mate. It's like the last ten years
of needing you are all bottled up inside me and need to
come out."

"I wanted to be yours. The entire time."

"It's what I wanted, too." Barker shook his head. "You're
here now."

He nodded, but the worry, the shame were still right
there, just beneath the surface.

Barker growled and pushed him into the mattress.
"Mine. Beautiful. Whole. Special."

"Different. I'm not like others of our kind."

"Special."

"Odd."

"Stubborn."

"Undesirable."

Barker snorted, cock hard, digging into his hip as Barker
pushed it against him. "Very desirable."

Marked - 85

"That's not what I meant..." He groaned, fingers sliding
over the tip.

Barker licked his lips and moaned softly. "I win."

"Hmm?" He brought his fingers to his lips, sucking them
clean.

"Fuck it. We both do."

"Do what?" God, he loved that flavor.

"Win."

Barker's tongue tangled with his own, pulling the flavor
right off it. Cody found himself lost again, focused only
on the way Barker's teeth felt, the way Barker's mouth
tasted, they way they fit together.

"Taste it from the source." Barker rolled as he spoke,
body hard and gleaming in the sun streaming through
the windows, cock hard, red, and once again slick at the
tip.

"Bossy fucker." He swooped down, though, and sucked
the stiff prick in.

"Uh... huh." The words were lost in a groan, Barker's
fingers threading through his hair.

All he knew was that taste and the way that it filled his
mouth. More groans filled the air, Barker's hips
beginning to thrust, pushing the thick meat deeper into
his mouth. Part of him thought he should protest when

Marked - 86

Barker's fingers clenched in his hair. The rest of him
sucked harder.

"Mate. Mate." That chant started again, and it touched
something deep inside him.

He would do anything for this man, anything he could.

"Soon," whispered Barker, fingers rubbing his scalp.

Cody let his lips sink all the way to the base of Barker's
cock, swallowing around the tip.

"Mate!" Barker's shout was the only warning he got, his
mate driving in even further and coming down his
throat.

Bitter and salty, male and hot -- Cody swallowed his
mate down. Barker jerked a few more times, dribbles
coming from him, and then his mate relaxed back
against the bed, all but purring.

He settled in, eyes closing. Somewhere, his tail was
wagging.

Marked - 87

Chapter Seven

Barker stretched and grabbed his bag and Cody's, taking
them to the truck. They'd spent the third night of the
moon running and hunting and playing together. Now
the full moon was over and it was time to go home, to
start life together. It would be easier if Cody would lose
the fur.

He put his hands on his hips. "Are you planning on
staying like that for the whole trip?" Frankly, he was
kind of jealous.

Cody slumped down on the threshold of the cabin, tail
thumping.

"Okay, okay, but I'm putting clothes in the cab for you
in case you decide to change back while we're on the
road." The last thing they needed was to get stopped
because Cody was naked.

Cody yawned, head landing on his paws.

"Come on. It's time to go." He locked up the cabin and
headed for the truck, opening the passenger door for his
stubborn, canine lover. Cody stared at him. Oh, yeah, so
stubborn.

"Come on, Cody. Get in the damn truck."

That heavy tail just wagged.

"Don't make me carry you."

Cody actually bared teeth at him.

Marked - 88

"Damn it, Cody, we can't stay here all the time." It was
fine for a wolf, not so much for humans -- and, unlike
his mate, he had no choice in the matter.

Cody stared at him, and he stared back. He was the
Alpha, damn it. Cody would respect that.

"Get. In. The. Truck." He refused to look away. Thank
goodness, Cody's eyes dropped, his mate slinking
toward the truck.

Shaking his head, he followed, closing the passenger
door as soon as Cody jumped up into the seat. Moving
around, he climbed in and started the engine. Cody
grumbled and barked, telling him off in the clearest
possible terms.

"Uh-huh." He could pretend he didn't understand; if
Cody wanted to talk to him, the man could damn well
shift. "I like burgers, too, and I'll make sure we pick
some up at the first drive-through we see."

A low rumble filled the cab. He glanced over and
couldn't resist reaching for his mate, sliding a hand
through all that great fur. Cody groaned, then settled,
head on his thigh. Smiling, he stroked Cody's fur,
patting the sweet head.

"You're beautiful, Cody."

His thigh was given a soft lick.

"I still can't believe you can change whenever you
want." His magical mate, furry in the sunlight.

Marked - 89

Cody sighed again, tail thumping slowly.

"Must be nice." Maybe it was a reward for Cody having
been in so much pain for so long.

Cody groaned, and he could see the process starting, his
lover coming back to him. It was fascinating, the
muscles jerking, the fur twitching. He couldn't imagine
doing it simply because he chose to.

He hummed softly, trying to encourage, to help. "Come
on, babe. I want to be able to talk to you and have you
back talk me, yeah?"

Cody's panting filled the cab, the sound almost pained,
but then his mate was there, solid, naked.

"Man, you'd better put on those clothes I tossed in for
you before I pull the truck over and fuck you right
there."

"You couldn't... couldn't get it up again."

He glanced over, admiring Cody's body. "That wasn't a
challenge, was it?"

Cody nuzzled him, hummed. "You're driving."

Fuck, his mate was sexy. "I'm going to pull over any
second now." Sexy and naked. And close. And right
there. "Put the clothes on, Cody."

"Bitch." Cody nipped his arm, then draped himself over
the back of the seat, looking for the clothes.

Marked - 90

"Fuck." He pulled the truck over and pounced.

Cody yelped as his teeth sank into one taut ass cheek.
"Hey!"

He laughed and bit the other cheek.

"No biting! You fucker! I'll turn into a werewolf!"

Oh, God, that was funny. He couldn't bite again, he was
laughing so hard. Cody landed in his arms, clothes in
hand, laughing just as much as he was.

"Dork," he accused.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Cody cuddled in, panting hard. "But
I'm cute."

"You are fucking cute." He ran his hands over Cody.
"Pretty damn sexy, too."

"We should go before the cops drive by."

Damn it, Cody was probably right.

"Get some clothes on, then."

Cody rubbed against him for another second, then pulled
away. He sat back in his seat and willed his prick to
behave as he started the truck up. Cody slipped into the
jeans, left the shirt off. One hand slid up along his thigh,
petting him.

Marked - 91

"You're tempting fate." God, the man could get him all
hot and bothered just by sitting there half-dressed.

Cody chuffed with laughter, head thrown back. "That's
what I do!"

Grinning, he shook his head. "How have I lived without
you for the last ten years?" Fate, he thought, owed them.

"You did okay. I saw." There was a decade of sorrow in
those words.

"I wish I'd known you were there." He should have felt
Cody or something. Wasn't that how it was supposed to
work?

Cody shrugged. "It wouldn't have helped you. I needed
to watch you. I couldn't not."

"It might have made me refuse to let you go sooner.
Maybe that's what you needed to change."

"I don't know. I tried everything."

"So what happened this time? It's not like it's the first
time we've mated."

"I... We never have like this."

"It's different up here, isn't it? Like... natural." Like
nothing could touch them.

"We're different. You're different."

Marked - 92

Of course Cody was different. He could still remember
the howls of pain, the agony. The glowing eyes, always
halfway there, never one or the other.

"I don't know if I'm any different, mate."

"You are. You're more present." Cody slipped out of the
seat belt, pressed closer.

He wrapped an arm around Cody. "That's because I
didn't let you run away this time."

"I wanted you to kill me."

He growled low in his throat. "No. You're mine. I
couldn't."

Cody growled back. "I suffered for ten years. I deserved
mercy."

"No. You deserved this. To be whole. To be who you
really are."

Cody shuddered, breath coming quicker. "It was real,
wasn't it? I had a tail."

"Are you kidding? A tail, the most beautiful coat, and
you could fucking do it during the day. You could do it
now."

"I could. I think I could."

"You could. You do remember being four-legged and
not wanting to get into the truck? You so can change
whenever you want. A new breed, man. You're special."

Marked - 93

Cody leaned on him, panting a little bit.

"So, you're staying with me. You know my place is big
enough for two."

"For a couple of days, yeah, if that's cool."

"No, that's not cool. Drop the couple of days and we're
good." He took his eyes off the road to glare into Cody's.
"You're staying with me. Period. You're my mate."

"If I decide to..."

He loved the flush on Cody's cheeks.

"If you've decide to what?"

"Stay with you. I've been on my own a long time." Cody
tugged his shirt on, his socks.

"You've been watching me for a long time." He didn't
want to argue about this. Cody was his mate and there
was no reason for him not to stay anymore.

"Yes. Yes, I have. I tried never to interfere."

"So, clearly, being close to me is something you want.
Just like I want you with me. So there's no deciding --
it's a done deal."

Cody sighed, grabbed his boots. "Shit. What if we can't
live together?"

"Why are you borrowing trouble? We'll do fine."

Marked - 94

Cody just stared at him. Stared.

"What?"

"You're so fucking bossy, asshole."

"That's because I'm the Alpha."

Cody was going to have to get used to it.

"Uh-huh." Cody didn't sound convinced.

It made him growl a little. When Cody growled back, it
surprised the hell out of him. Another sound rumbled
through him, the beast inside him responding to his
mate. Cody's eyes flashed, began to glow. Jesus. Jesus,
he was going to have to pull over again.

"Am I about to have a lap full of wolf?"

"I... I don't know. I can't..." Cody growled low and deep,
shivering.

He frowned. "You can't control it?" That growl, it went
straight to his balls.

"Not so well. It's new." Cody leaned against him,
sweating now, eyes closed.

"You know, I can't control it at all. During the full
moon, it comes; during the day, it goes."

"I... Yeah. Yeah, I guess that's right. I can, a little."

Marked - 95

He wanted to howl at the words, at Cody taking pride in
himself. "I bet you get better at it, too. With practice."

Cody shrugged, panting against him. "How long 'til we
stop?"

"It's another few hours into the city. What do you need
to stop for?"

There were a couple places along the way if Cody
wanted to eat, or rest stops if he needed to change and
run.

"I... I need to get out of the truck."

"What's wrong with my truck?"

Cody's eyes flashed, face lengthening. "Nothing! I
just..."

"Okay, babe. I'll get you to outside. No running away,
though, I can't change with you." He slowed the car,
pulling off onto the ditch.

"I swear. I swear." There was no other traffic, and Cody
was writhing, hands desperately tugging at the clothing.

He put on his hazards and helped Cody with the clothes,
fingers pushing buttons through loops and helping his
lover get naked.

"Thank you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." There was more than
a hint of panic in Cody's voice.

Marked - 96

"Shh. It's okay, mate." He leaned past Cody and opened
the door.

"Mate. Mate." Cody crouched on the seat, rippling.
"Hungrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..."

His mate shuddered, shook, then the wolf was there --
huge and strong and beautiful.

"There. Okay. There you go. God, you're beautiful,
Cody." He reached out, stroking, rubbing. "It's okay.
You can go out, but don't go far."

Cody leaped down, running around, tail in the air. He
admired the wolf. God, his mate truly was gorgeous.

True to his word, Cody stayed close enough to see,
coming back to him again and again. Leaving the
hazards on, Barker climbed out and leaned against the
passenger side of the truck.

Cody -- romped. There was no other word for it.
Bouncing and barking, running and playing -- it was
something to see. Barker laughed, enjoying this
immensely.

"Must be nice. To do that in the sunshine."

Cody looked over at him, panting, laughing at him.

"Butthead. Lucky butthead." He kind of wished they
didn't have to go back. If the cabin were in better shape,
weren't so bare bones, they could stay out there more, let
Cody run and run.

Marked - 97

Somehow, he thought that convincing Cody to go back
to the Clan was going to be harder than convincing the
wolf to get into the truck. He was hoping being able to
thumb their noses would be a good incentive.

He knew he wanted to. He wanted to march right in
there with his mate and stick out his tongue and go
"Neener, neener." Show off his beautiful, strong mate,
tell them how proud he was, how perfect.

He went down to his haunches and called Cody over,
wanting to touch that beautiful fur again. His mate ran
for him, tongue lolling as he loped over. Barker wrapped
his arms around the beautiful beast, fingers digging into
Cody's fur. Cody pushed closer, growling happily,
nuzzling him. He rubbed their cheeks together. Fuck,
Cody's fur was soft.

The wolf leaned into him hard, making him take all the
weight.

"Damn, you're solid, aren't you?"

Cody's chuffing laughter made him grin.

He rubbed his face in the fur at Cody's neck, hands
sliding along his mate's flanks. The tension he'd been
seeing in Cody was gone, melted away, replaced by a
wagging tail.

"Everything's simpler when you're the wolf, huh?"

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Marked - 98

A hot tongue dragged on his throat. He laughed. This
was... well, it was kind of magical. He could feel Cody
shivering, and he knew the change was going to come
again. He tugged off his shirt, ready to put it on his mate
as soon as Cody changed. A man on the side of a road
with a dog wouldn't be that weird; one with another man
who was naked was not so normal. Cody whined softly,
pushing closer, trying to get his touch.

"It's okay, Mate. It's okay." He stroked and petted as
much of Cody as he could reach. "Easy does it."

He could feel the change, and he hummed softly,
gentling his mate. "Skin instead of fur. A mouth instead
of a muzzle. Just think of the things that make you
human." He murmured the words, hands still working.

Cody came back to him, leaning hard, shivering.
"Sorry."

"For what?" He held out his shirt for Cody, helping him
into it.

"I had to run." Cody cuddled in even closer. "Is it
always this cold, after?"

"Yeah, pretty much. You're going from fur to naked."
He rubbed Cody's skin.

"Yeah." Cody pushed into his arms, let him lead the way
to the truck.

He found the man's sweats and passed them over. "I can
put the heat on in the truck if the clothes don't help."

Marked - 99

"You don't have to. I'm getting better."

"Oh, good. I hate being hot." He grinned and kissed
Cody before hustling him into the truck.

Cody settled in, eyelids heavy. He squeezed Cody's
shoulder, closed the door, and headed around to the
other side. Climbing in, he started the engine up and
headed them back toward the city.

Cody dozed for a few miles, then woke up, eyes on the
horizon.

"You feeling okay?" It was still a little startling, those
pretty blue eyes instead of the shining gold.

"Yeah. Yeah, I feel much better."

"Just needed to let the beast out for a bit, huh?" It was
going to be a learning curve, figuring out what Cody
needed, how exactly his change worked.

"I think so, yeah. It was huge." Cody's fingers brushed
his wrist.

"Huh." He took his hand off the wheel and twined his
fingers with Cody's.

"I wonder if that's because you can change during the
day, too. Or because you didn't change for so long, and
now your wolf wants out."

"I don't know. I don't know anything about this,
obviously."

Marked - 100

He squeezed Cody's hand. "It's okay, we'll learn
together."

His mate sighed, squeezed back. "I don't know, man.
What if it's a fluke?"

Everything in him tightened for a moment. "It's lasted
for days, Cody. That's a hell of a fluke."

"Only two days. But... it doesn't seemed tied to the
moon."

"No, it doesn't seem tied to the moon at all." He shook
his head. He didn't know what the explanation was, but
that much was clear.

"I'm still a freak of nature, hmm?" Poor, bittersweet
lover.

"You're not a freak -- you're special. I mean, you can
control it. How cool is that?"

"I'm trying to control it."

"Yeah, well, practice is everything. The ability is still
there."

Cody looked at him like he'd lost his mind.

"What? You don't think that going back and forth won't
help you get control?" It made sense to him.

"I honestly don't know." Cody growled a bit. "I don't
know anything anymore."

Marked - 101

"It's still better than how it was." Cody had to remember
that.

He heard his mate take a deep, deep breath. "Yes. Yes, it
is. So much."

"The pain's gone, right?" Like the eyes had changed.

"Yeah."

Thank God. He never wanted to have to see his mate
writhing like that again. Never. "Good. It'll all work out,
then."

They slowed as the traffic got heavier for rush hour, the
city busy with people coming and going. He glanced
over at Cody to see how his lover was handling it. The
man was wide-eyed, looking almost scared.

"Hey, mate. It's all right. We're just going to go straight
to my place. You've been there before."

"It smells. And it's loud. Has it always been so loud?"

"Yeah, yeah, it has. It's always worse when I first get
back. You get used to it again."

"Yeah?" Cody looked unsure.

"Yeah. It'll be fine, mate. You'll see."

"I don't know... I don't know if I can stay at your house.
You have a normal life..."

Marked - 102

He could scent the worry, the beginnings of panic in the
cab.

"And you're aiming for what?"

"Huh?"

"I know you haven't had a normal life so far, but now
that you can change, what kind of life is it you want?
Something not normal?"

That scent of panic got stronger. "I don't know."

"Hey." He reached over and squeezed Cody's thigh.
"You know my place. We'll be there soon, and you can
shut everything else out for awhile, not have to think.
Hell, you can even shift if you want. Once we're there."

"I'm sorry, man. Really. I feel all fucking wigged out."

"It's okay. I tell you what, once we get there, I'll drag
you into my bed and it'll be just like old times."

He heard a soft, husky chuckle. "Does that mean I leave
at dawn?"

"No, not at all. At dawn, you're going to have to pretend
my place is the hotel room you always snuck away to."
He wasn't letting Cody get away this time. Especially as
there wasn't a reason to go.

"I didn't always stay there. I couldn't afford it. I traveled
around." One hand found his thigh.

Marked - 103

"Now you have a place to stay." He dropped his hand to
cover Cody's, holding it against his skin.

"Still? Even after all this mess?"

"You're my mate."

He pulled into the parking garage. He couldn't quite
believe it, that he was going to have his mate, his lover,
home with him for good. He parked and leaned over,
placing a quick, hard kiss on Cody's lips. "Welcome
home, mate."

"Thank you." Cody shivered and reached for him. "I'm
fucking wigged out."

"I know. It'll be better at my place. Trust me."

He had nature sounds on his surround sound, and the
smell of the woods to cover up the asphalt and smog the
air filter couldn't quite get rid of. Subtle things that made
all the difference. Cody hadn't ever noticed, and he
could just imagine the attack on the man's senses.

"Come on. It'll be better once we get home." He climbed
out and came right around to give Cody a hand, or at
least a warm, familiar body to lean on.

Cody sat there on the seat, disheveled and pale. "Barker,
I don't know if I can handle this, man. I don't know
about this anymore."

"Trust me, yeah? Come on upstairs. You'll be much
easier in your skin once you're there." Barker wrapped

Marked - 104

his hands around Cody's arms and tugged, encouraging
him to get out of the damn truck.

He thought for a second that Cody would fight him, but
he growled softly and Cody came, trusted him. He got
them into the elevator and moving up to his apartment.

"This is the first time I've come here during the day."

"It's the first time you've come here when it's been your
home, too." He held onto Cody's hand, squeezing it.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess."

His mate. His mate coming home. Barker could howl
with it.

The elevator stopped and he pulled Cody out. How
many times had he done this over the last ten years?
Dragged his mate in here and fucked him into the
mattress? Not enough times, actually. Nowhere near
enough.

He kept hold of Cody's wrist, making sure no one
disappeared while he opened the door.

Door open, he dragged his mate in, just like he had all
those times. Although he didn't throw the man up
against the wall this time.

As soon as the door closed, the noise and smell of the
city faded away.

"Oh." Cody's knees buckled. "It's you."

Marked - 105

Okay, maybe he was going to throw the man up against
the wall. "Uh-huh." He bent and took Cody's mouth.

Cody's cry was pure happiness, wild and pure, and
Barker almost shot his load. His mate. Home. He
slammed Cody up against the wall, grinding against the
increasingly familiar body. Strong fingers tangled in his
hair and kept him close while Cody's tongue fucked his
lips. He sucked on that tongue, his hips imitating it.

Sounds filled his mouth, made him wild, made him need
to taste and lick and bite every inch of his mate. He tore
at Cody's clothing, needing skin.

Cody's fingers pulled him closer, dragged him in.
"More."

"Yes. More." He pressed against Cody, rubbing all up
against him.

Cody wrapped around him, licking and biting at his lips.
"Fuck me."

"Yes." He grabbed Cody's ass and raised him off the
floor, moving to his bed.

"Thank God." Cody held on, not fighting, not struggling.

He climbed onto the bed with his mate, mouth
devouring as he laid Cody down and pressed on top of
him. Cody spread for him, legs cradling him, hips
rocking up into him. Hungry, wanton mate. That suited
Barker just fine.

Marked - 106

Growling, he spread Cody's legs even farther apart with
his knees.

"It smells like you. Everywhere. God, it's so good."

He could smell his mate, though, could smell the need
pouring off the beautiful skin. He let his cock nudge
Cody's hole, a promise of the rutting to come.

"Don't fucking tease."

"Not teasing." He reached for the lube and slicked up a
couple fingers, pushed them into Cody's body.

The grunt he got was amazing. Deep. Feral. He pushed
them deeper, bumping against that little gland inside
Cody's body.

Cody's eyes went wide, rolled. "More. More." Pushy.

He pulled out his fingers and pushed them back in, hard.

"Fuck."

He added another finger, that sweet hole stretching for
him. "Gonna fuck you good and hard."

Cody nodded, but Barker wasn't sure the man was
listening to him, wasn't sure Cody was hearing anything
at all.

He slid his fingers away -- enough preparation, he
wanted in that tight heat.

Marked - 107

"Please. Please. I need." Cody was almost howling for
him.

"Right here." He pushed Cody's legs back and thrust into
the sweet body.

"Yes!" Cody pushed back, hips slamming up toward
him.

"Mate," He growled the word and pushed in again.

"Harder."

"Pushy." He did it, though, didn't he? Thrust harder.

"Yes. Fuck, you feel so good..."

"You, too." So fucking good. He moved harder, faster.

Cody wasn't fighting him, wasn't hiding, and he felt his
heart swell. He wanted to howl. Cody's hands wrapped
around his shoulders, tugged him close. He took Cody's
lips, let his howl fill his mate's mouth.

That tight ass squeezed his prick rhythmically, pulling at
him, tugging him in deeper. He found Cody's cock,
squeezed it as he thrust harder. He could feel Cody jerk -
- in his hand, around his cock.

"That's it, mate. Come for me."

"Yes. Mate." Cody looked at him, those blue eyes warm,
focused. Sure.

"Mate." He pushed in, nailing Cody's gland.

Marked - 108

Heat poured over his hand, Cody's moan splitting the
air.

"Yes! Mate!" He thrust in two more times, and then
came hard, filling his mate. The scent of them filled the
air, filled his home. "Mmm. Cody."

One hand stroked his hair. "Barker. Oh, God. This place
smells like you."

He nuzzled into Cody's neck. "With a little bit of you
thrown in."

Cody stilled at the touch, then his chin lifted, giving
Barker access. It made Barker growl a little, happy in his
bones at the movement. He nibbled and nuzzled, let his
teeth threaten some. His fingers stroked Cody's belly,
scratching lightly, petting.

"Welcome home," he murmured.

"Thank you." Cody kissed the corner of his mouth.
"Mate."

"That's right. Mate." He felt a surge of pride go through
him at having Cody here, with him, special and
wonderful and all his.

Marked - 109

Chapter Eight

Barker was napping and Cody was curious, so he
slipped from the bed and started exploring. He hadn't
really looked at Barker's home before. It didn't hurt that
he was starving.

The place was basically one big, open space, with a bar
separating the kitchen and a small hall leading to a huge
bathroom and a couple of closets.

There were a lot of plants spread around the place, and
aside from the bed and barstools, there were only two
huge armchairs and a great big flat-screen TV. A small
desk had papers on it, and a laptop. It was simple,
utilitarian, and yet everything about it smelled and felt
like home.

He found a jar of peanut butter and a spoon, eating three
spoonfuls in quick succession. Oh. Better. Then he
found the milk.

There was a note on the fridge. "Buy more steak, idiot."

Cody chuffed softly, found some eggs. Starving. He was
starving.

He heard Barker groan, shift in his sleep. He hummed
softly, let his voice fill the space, let Barker know he
wasn't gone.

He thought he heard a murmured, "Mate."

He found a pan and started scrambling eggs.

Marked - 110

It wasn't long before Barker come prowling into the
kitchen, eyes like a touch on him. "Mate. You're still
here."

"I made eggs." He didn't know what else to say.

"We need steak." Barker's arms went around him, nose
sliding on his skin. "Mmm."

"You left yourself a note." He let his head fall forward,
let Barker nibble.

Barker looked at the fridge and laughed before getting
back to making a snack of him.

He finished the eggs up, elbowed his mate gently.
"Plates?"

Barker elbowed him back. "Cupboards."

"You want to give me a better clue?" He had a spatula.
He was willing to use it.

"Try the one over the sink. There's only six -- you could
have opened them all."

"Don't make me beat you." He grinned, stretched, found
two plates.

"I'd like to see you try." Barker lounged against the
counter, grinning back.

He met Barker's eyes, hit with the realization that he was
here, standing in Barker's home, and he could change.
He could. "It did happen, right? I'm not dreaming."

Marked - 111

"It happened, mate. You're a beautiful wolf."

His hands shook for a second, and he took a deep breath,
telling himself to get it together. "Yeah. Yeah, it did.
Let's eat."

"You can change after if you want. You just need to
promise not to do your business on my floor."

He blinked at Barker, then just cracked up, laughing so
hard it hurt.

"What? I'm not joking!"

He shoved the plate of eggs at his asshole mate.

Barker moved over to one of the barstools and dug into
the food like he was starving. "'S good."

Cody nodded, leaning against the counter and sucking
the eggs down. Hungry.

"I could take you out for steak. Nice and rare, twenty
ounces."

He met Barker's eyes, a growl pushing out of him.

"You like that idea? Fresh meat."

"Hungry." His belly went tight-tight.

"You up to it? There's all the city out there. I have a guy
-- I could get something delivered."

Marked - 112

He nodded. "I can go out without my glasses, huh?"

Barker's smile was slow and lazy. "You can."

"I need to wash my clothes at some point."

"We need to buy you more stuff. Jeans, T-shirts. Crap
like that."

"I don't need much. I travel light."

"You're not traveling anymore, mate. You're home."

He shrugged, a little uncomfortable with that. "I don't
know how to do that."

"You'll learn." Barker always sounded so confident.

"Is the offer of steak still open?"

Barker laughed and nodded. "You bet. Delivered in or
go out?"

"If we deliver, I can wash clothes."

"Or mate." Barker gave him one of those wolfish grins
of his.

"My mate needs washing?"

"What?" Barker blinked at him and tilted his head.

"You said I could wash clothes or my mate."

Marked - 113

Barker snorted and then chuckled. "I mean or we could
mate. You know, go back to bed and rub on each other?"

"Oh!" He grinned at Barker. "Right. Got it."

"Butthead." Barker threw a napkin at him.

"Bitch." He yipped happily.

"So delivery and making out?"

"Yeah. Delivery and making out."

It sounded perfect.

***

The knock on the door interrupted Barker's kiss, but he'd
had plenty and could have plenty more, so he wasn't
complaining too hard. Besides, that knock came with
steak. He grabbed his jeans and slipped into them,
finding his wallet in the back pocket. Excellent.

Answering the door, he gave Kristos the hot delivery
boy a grin. He handed over the money as the smell of
the food filled his nostrils. "Your dad make my order?"

"You know he did, Mr. Barker."

"Excellent." He gave Kristos a good tip and closed the
door before the man's scent could penetrate too far into
the apartment and worry Cody.

"Food's here, mate. Red meat." Cooked nice and rare.

Marked - 114

"Oh, good." Cody came up, sniffing his shoulder, the
bag.

"Wanna eat in bed?" He was going to have to pick up
some meat to keep in the fridge for when Cody wanted
to eat as a wolf.

"That sounds fun, yeah." Cody's hand slipped over his
hip.

"Take my jeans off me, then, and we'll do that." He
loved that touch.

"I can do that." Those fingers were clever, baring his
cock.

He groaned as one of Cody's fingers brushed against
him. Fuck, you'd think he'd never had sex before, the
way Cody could get him up just by breathing.

"You smell good." Cody smoothed his jeans down and
off, leaving him holding the steak.

"I think that's the steak," he teased, climbing onto the
bed.

"No. That's you." One hand trailed along his cock.

Groaning, he pushed into Cody's hand. "There's food..."

"Mmmhmm. Feed me?" That hand moved up and down
and up and down.

"Not while you're doing that." He could barely think, let
alone operate a knife and fork.

Marked - 115

Cody nibbled his shoulder. "Please, Mate."

"You could eat me..." He grinned, already knowing he'd
give in to what his mate asked for.

"After steak. So hungry."

He imagined his sweet mate's stomach was rumbling
hard. He pulled Cody to come with him as he opened
one of the containers. Cody was bare, cock mostly full,
rubbing against him. He grabbed the little plastic knife
and fork from the containers and cut off a big chunk of
meat, offering it to Cody as he tried to ignore the way
his mate's body was pressing all up against him. Cody
moaned for him, eyes crossing as the blood from the
steak dripped on the outstretched tongue.

"Beast," he teased, his own tongue licking at his lips as
he salivated. God, he wanted some of that.

"Yes." Cody's smile was wild, fierce.

Laughing, he took a kiss. Cody licked and lapped at his
lips, moaning for him.

"Fuck, baby. You make eating a whole new adventure."

"Everything's new now." He could hear the truth in the
words.

"Yeah." He gave Cody another quick kiss and then fed
him another generous mouthful of steak.

Cody's sound was an orgasm.

Marked - 116

"Eating's never going to be the same again."

Cody picked up another bite, slid the juicy steak over his
lips. Growling, he leaned in and licked at Cody's lips, bit
at them. The steak was pushed between his lips, the
meat succulent and perfect. He chewed, groaning at the
delicious flavor -- of both meat and mate.

They fed each other, growling and licking, enjoying
each other like they'd never been able to before. Never.

The steaks were soon gone, the rest of the food ignored
in favor of each other. Cody was in his lap, fingers
combing through his hair, one kiss sliding into another
and another. He brought their groins together, moaning
at the heat they made together.

"Hungry mate." Cody's laugh tasted so good.

"Just matching you."

"Just munching with me."

"No, that was before. Now I'm munching on you."

There was that laugh again, and Barker wanted to growl
for all the years he hadn't known it. They had gotten so
screwed, but it was their time now. He winked and slid
his hand around to squeeze Cody's ass. Cody wiggled,
belly sliding on his.

"Mmm. Want you, mate." Again. Still.

"I'm yours." Oh, fuck, that was hot.

Marked - 117

"All mine." He pulled Cody closer against him.

"Are you going to keep me, now?" Cody's eyes were so
blue.

"I am. Forever."

"Thank God."

Growling, he took his mate's mouth, laying his claim all
over again, without words this time. Cody met his
hunger head on, tongue fucking his lips. He reached for
Cody's hole, teasing it with his index finger, pushing just
the tip in. The soft hum he got vibrated his lips. He
moaned in reply, finger going deeper. His mate was soft,
silky inside, body made for him to fill.

"Mate." He moaned, mouth sliding on Cody's, breathing
in his mate's breath.

"Yes." Cody's eyes began to glow, just around the edges.

He shook his head. "No changing, I want you like this."
He needed Cody like this.

"I know. I'm trying. Breathing."

Barker offered the fingers of his free hand to Cody.
"Suck."

Those kiss-swollen lips parted, dropped over his fingers,
and the sweet suction started. Every pull was like a tug
on his cock, making it throb where it pressed against
Cody's body. Cody moaned around his fingers, tongue

Marked - 118

lashing the fingertips. He pushed the finger inside
Cody's body deeper as Cody drove him crazy with that
tongue. Cody bit his fingers, tugging at them, even as
that ass squeezed him.

"Fuck, mate." If he wasn't careful, Cody would make
him come before they got to the main event.

Cody nodded, smiled, eager. Laughing, he tugged his
fingers out of Cody -- ass and mouth -- and then pushed
the wet ones into that sweet, hot hole.

Cody grunted, arched, belly going taut. "Yes!"

"Gonna take you, right here, like this."

Cody's answer was a single, sharp nod.

He spread his fingers and pushed them deep, working
Cody's ass.

"Fuck. Stretching me." Cody pushed down, riding his
touch.

"Uh-huh. It's going to be my cock in a minute." He was
going to make Cody fly.

"Harder. Harder, mate."

He fucked Cody with his fingers, finding the sweet
gland over and over. His eyelids got heavy, his cock
wanting into that tight sheath.

"Want you."

Marked - 119

"I'm yours." The simple words made him howl.

He tugged his fingers away, lining his prick up with that
hole. Cody's body bucked, a whimper of complaint
escaping him.

It made him laugh, the sound free and easy. "I'm
coming, mate."

"Don't you dare. That cock's mine."

He laughed even harder at that. "I didn't mean..." Fuck
it, it didn't matter. He pushed his cock into Cody's body.
Hot. Fuck, yeah. Hot. Hot and tight and fucking his.
Groaning, he took Cody's mouth, pushing as deep as he
could. That tight ring of muscle squeezed the shaft of his
prick.

"Mate." He groaned, meeting Cody's eyes.

"Yes. Your mate."

He let his thrust be his answer, hips pulling back slightly
before humping up hard. Blue. His mate's eyes were
blue. Fuck, it was hot. He wrapped his hands around
Cody's hips, moving the man as he worked his hips.
Cody was right there with him, driving down, riding him
and taking him in deep. He slipped one hand down to
grab Cody's ass, squeezing it as they fucked.

Cody's hands framed his face, stared down into him.
"Mate."

He growled and bit at Cody's lips. Cody growled back,
body tightening around his prick. Yeah, just like that. He

Marked - 120

put everything he had into it, working hard and taking
his mate. Cody's hands landed on his shoulders, that
wiry strength joining his, slamming down onto him. He
howled, or did the next best to it with his human throat,
his orgasm pouring through him.

"Touch me. Touch me, Mate." Cody's teeth snapped at
the air.

He grabbed hold of Cody's cock, tugging harshly.
"Come on."

"Fuck, yes!" Cody arched, come drawing lines across
his chest.

It made him shudder, the way Cody's body bore down
on his cock. Cody's orgasm stretched his pleasure out,
left him shaken, wrung out. Wrung dry. He collapsed
back onto the bed, tugging Cody down with him.

Cody's mouth nuzzled his jaw, tongue on his skin.

"Mate," he murmured, arms tightening around his own
werewolf.

"Yes. Yes, Mate." Cody chuckled, curling around him.

"This is the life." He meant it, too. Having his mate with
him like this.

"Can it stay this way?"

"If I have anything to say about it, it will." He growled.
He wasn't letting Cody go. Not this time, not ever. His
mate was home where he belonged.

Marked - 121

Cody hummed, cuddling into him, rocking nice and
slow. Settling. Like he intended to stay.

Marked - 122

Chapter Nine

The laziness lasted for two days, then Barker had to go
back to work and so did Cody. At least, Cody needed to
find something for a few days. His funds were tapped.
He woke early, shook out his work jeans and the T-shirt
he used for construction, and made a cup of coffee.
There was a day laborer slot about a mile's walk; he got
work there painting, picking up trash, lugging furniture.
Whatever there was that paid cash and didn't require too
much identification.

The first night, when he got home, Barker pounced on
him, growling. "You weren't here when I got back."

He snarled softly. He was sore, he was filthy, and he
was freezing. "I was working."

"You could have left me a note -- I thought you'd left."

"I left my duffel." He headed for the bathroom. He
needed a shower.

"I didn't notice. Fuck, mate. I thought you'd gone again."
Barker followed him, voice rough.

"I need to work. I'm broke." Jackass.

"You should have left a note is all I'm saying. Or phoned
me. Or something." Barker growled at him. "Besides,
I'm not charging you rent."

"Don't growl at me!" He spun around, their chests
slapping together. "I'm tired!"

Marked - 123

"I thought you'd run away again!" Barker didn't stop
growling, pushing him back toward the bathroom.

He bared his teeth, vibrating. "Fucker."

Barker pushed him up against the wall. "Asshole."

He bounced a little, hands grabbing Barker's arms.
"Don't push me."

"You started it." Barker growled and leaned him back,
pressing him back against the wall again.

"Fuck you. I want a shower, dickhead." God, Barker was
warm.

"Fuck you, too!" Barker's mouth descended on his, the
kiss hard, needy.

He met the need head on, refusing to back down from
Barker's hunger. His mate's tongue fucked his mouth,
made his cock hard. He tangled the fingers of one hand
in Barker's hair, pulling hard enough that he knew it had
to sting. Growling, Barker bit at his lips. Fuck. Asshole.
Hot, hungry asshole. The man ground against him, cock
hot even through the layers of their clothes.

"Not fucking. Taking a shower."

"Do both." Barker tore open his shirt.

"Hey! I only have three!"

"I count two." Barker bent and bit one nipple, then the
other.

Marked - 124

"I. Two..." Fuck. Fuck, that was good. "Biter."

That made Barker laugh. "I'm a wolf, babe. Of course
I'm a biter."

He chuffed softly. "Do it again?"

"You bet." Barker went back to work, teeth hard and
sharp as they dug into his flesh.

He forgot about the cold, the tired, just for a second, the
sting and ache perfect and exactly what he needed. One
of Barker's hands started playing at his waistband,
working open his jeans. He sucked in his belly. Just in
the last week, he'd gained weight, gained muscle.
Strength.

Barker had his jeans undone and halfway down his
thighs just like that, fingers pushing into his underwear
to grab at his dick. Those thick fingers were warm
against his skin, his prick swelling at the coarse touch.
Grabby bastard.

Toothy, too, Barker was still nipping at his skin, more
than just his nipples feeling the sharp edge of those
teeth. There were going to be marks. tiny little bruises
that covered his chest. Barker didn't seem the least
concerned about that, leaving as many as he wanted as
that hand tugged and worked Cody like it was the best
thing Barker'd ever held.

Cody let his head fall back, let himself go with it, let the
sensations take him. The hand around his prick

Marked - 125

tightened, worked him harder. His balls drew up and he
got closer, his yelps filling the air.

"Give it to me, Cody. I want to smell your pleasure."

"Shit! Shit, Barker!" His head slammed back, his
orgasm raging through him.

"Oh, fuck, look at you."

He was terribly busy shooting his brains out of his cock.
Looking was not in his game plan.

Barker hummed, the sound happy, and bent almost
double, licking at his cock. He blinked down, trying to
focus, trying to get less stupid. Barker looked up and
grinned wolfishly at him.

He swayed, trying to keep his feet. "Can we shower
now?"

"Yep." Barker stood and put an arm around his
shoulders, manhandling him into the bathroom.

That hard cock nudged his hip, reminding him that
Barker needed. Like he'd forget that. They got as far as
into the shower before Barker pushed him up against the
tile, rubbing against him.

"Horny bastard. I won't leave you again, not without
telling you."

"Just a fucking note or something." Barker was biting at
his chin, mouth hot, teeth sharp.

Marked - 126

"Do they have fucking notes?"

"Huh? Who?" Barker kept biting, humping up against
him.

"Doesn't matter." He dropped to his knees, mouth
wrapping around that fine, fat prick.

"Fuck! Cody!" Barker's legs spread a little, hips
encouraging him to take more.

Yeah. Yeah, mate. The wild male flavor filled his lips,
drops sliding down his throat. Barker's fingers curled
into his hair, holding his head, guiding his movements.
He took everything Barker offered, letting him in deep.
Moaning for him, Barker started rocking, pushing that
fat cock deep and then bringing it to the tip of his tongue
again. Every time the tip came toward his lips, he
sucked hard, refusing to let Barker go.

"Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Mate." Barker started babbling;
none of it really made sense, but that tone in his voice
said it all.

Cody worked Barker like the man was a Popsicle, lips
dragging all the way along the shaft.

"Fuck!" The word was screamed, Barker shooting down
his throat, hips jerking hard.

He took it all, loving the salt of his mate.

Groaning, Barker collapsed back against the tiles. The
man chuckled. "We didn't even get the water on."

Marked - 127

"Yet. We will." He kissed Barker's belly.

"We better, you're a mess."

"Some of us had to work all day."

"You think I wasn't working?" Barker turned the water
on.

"You work at night." He knew. He'd been watching for
years. "And you tell that little pup that tends bar that if
he ever touches you again, he'll die."

"Nobody touches me, nobody touches you. But each
other." The words made Barker growl.

He growled back. "That's right. You're mine."

"Yeah. Yeah. And you're mine." Barker's hands were
hard and possessive as they touched him.

He arched into the touches, the water making them slick.

"Still wanting, mate?"

He met Barker's eyes, panting a bit. "Claim me."

Barker's eyes went wide and his nostrils flared.
Growling, Barker turned him to face the tile and pushed
apart his legs. Cody's nerves fired and his entire body
shuddered. The hair on his nape stood up.

"Mine," growled Barker, prick pushing at his hole.

"Prove it." He would push and push until Barker lost it.

Marked - 128

A deep, low rumble came from Barker, and that hot
cock pushed right into him. He opened his mouth to
tease more when sharp teeth grabbed the back of his
neck, holding him there, the sting shorting him out. That
rumble continued, vibrating the skin of his neck as
Barker held still, cock buried deep inside him.

"M...mate." He shook, focused on the ache.

"That's right," rumbled Barker. "Don't forget it or
discount it."

"Fuck you." He squeezed Barker's prick. Hard.

"No, mate. I'm fucking you."

"I'm riding you." Fuck, this was fun.

Barker pulled out and slammed back in. "Feels like I'm
fucking you to me."

"You sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!" The words were accompanied by
another hard thrust.

He wanted to scream with it, the pressure was so good,
so perfect. He bit at his lips, trying to keep control.
Barker set up a hard, eager rhythm, cock slamming into
him, spreading him wide.

"Mate," he barked, the sound echoing. "Mate!"

"That's right. You're mine."

Marked - 129

"Yes. And you're mine."

"Uh-huh." Barker bit and gnawed at his neck, hips
moving hard and fast.

"Going to leave a scar." Somehow, he didn't think
Barker minded that thought. The rumbling, purring
sound that followed confirmed it. As did the way Barker
bit harder. He yipped, hips bucking as he rode. The ache
made him harder, made him need more.

Barker's fingers dug into his hips, bruising him. He
snarled, snapped, the wolf so close, making this so
perfect. Barker pushed into him and howled, and he
could feel how close his mate was to coming. One hand
barely brushed the tip of his cock and he shot, screaming
out his pleasure.

"Yes! Yes!" Barker pumped into him, filling him with
heat.

He sobbed out his joy. His mate. His own. Barker's howl
answered him, his mate surrounding him with sound and
sensation.

The wolf rumbled inside him, deep within, fighting to
come out. Growling lightly, Barker pulled out, teeth
back on his neck. He growled back, panting harder,
fingers curled into claws. Barker leaned against him and
turned off the water, the bathroom suddenly quiet.

"Mate." His voice didn't sound like him.

"Yes." Barker turned him, mouth finding his.

Marked - 130

He growled softly into the kiss, hands dragging on
Barker's body. He didn't want to change.
Not yet. Not here. The low sounds fed into his mouth by
Barker weren't helping his control at all, but the warm
hands running over his skin did. Here. Stay here. Stay
here and now.

The kiss went on and on, Barker stealing his breath, his
brains. When their lips parted, they were both panting,
both swaying. Both better.

"Come on. Food time." Barker grabbed him and dragged
him out of the shower.

He could eat. Hell, he could eat an entire buffalo.

Naked, Barker led him into the little kitchen and pulled a
package of steaks out of the fridge. He followed right
behind, breath on Barker's shoulder, nostrils flaring.

"You're not wanting it uncooked, are you?" Barker
didn't sound like that would be a big problem for him.

"N...no..." He whined softly, his stomach snarling.

Barker smiled at him, eyes soft and warm. "You want to
change and eat it as is?"

"I. I think I have to. I'm sorry, man. I..." His body
convulsed.

"It's okay, mate. Go on. I would, too, if I could. Think of
the beast, of the shape of him, the way he feels."

Marked - 131

"Like running." He dropped to the floor, spine arching
impossibly.

"That's it, mate. Let it have you." Barker's words
encouraged him, helped him.

One warm hand stroked over his back, petting him
gently. Mate. Mate. He panted, tail thumping on the
floor.

"Beautiful."

Bloody and fresh, meat was put on the floor in front of
him. He snapped up the steak, the blood cool and sharp
on his tongue.

"There you go." His mate patted his head and then
backed off, letting him finish in peace.

He bit off a piece, dropping it at his mate's feet. Barker
rumbled at him, the sound not quite right, but then his
mate wasn't a wolf at the moment. He lapped at Barker's
ankle, loving the man, then he headed back for his
dinner. His Mate's chuckle felt good inside, almost as
good as the meat as it filled his belly.

He licked the plate clean, then hopped up, paws on the
counter as he searched for more.

"More?" Barker pushed the other piece of meat toward
him.

He barked happily. More. More, more, more.

"You're a piggy wolf."

Marked - 132

His tongue lolled, tail lashing violently. Barker laughed,
dancing out of the way. He hopped down, crouching,
hindquarters up. Play.

"Oh-ho! I know what you want now!"

He yipped, bouncing a little. Barker suddenly tweaked
his ear and leapt away. His paws scrambled on the tile as
he ran to pounce, claws clicking. Barker went down
under him, hitting the floor with a loud thump.

He licked his mate's face, chuffing. Barker's hands went
to his muzzle, rubbing and scratching. Oh, good. Good.
His eyes crossed, lip curling in pleasure.

"Ah, that's the spot, huh?"

He settled down, tail thumping hard, encouraging more
of those wonderful touches.

"This is the life," murmured Barker as his mate settled
next to him, hands and fingers busy.

He agreed, all of him. He hadn't ever been so happy.

***

Barker finished his shift at the bar and headed home,
trying not to grumble. He'd had his shifts changed from
night to day so his schedule coincided, more or less,
with Cody's. Too bad he hated the hell out of it. Who'd
have thought?

Marked - 133

He let himself in, nose in the air, searching
automatically for his mate's scent. The house smelled
like Cody, but the scent was fading. Someone wasn't
home. It made him growl. Oh, he wasn't worried
anymore that Cody had disappeared, but damn it, he'd
changed his entire schedule around so they could spend
time together, and yet here he was, all by himself.

He heard the door open about ten minutes later, the scent
of food sudden and strong.

"Mate." He headed for the front door.

"Hey. I brought tacos." Cody looked exhausted.

"What happened?" he demanded, taking the bag from
Cody's hands.

"Huh? Long day. Tacos."

"You look worn out."

"I am." Suddenly he could scent blood. Fresh blood.

He growled and tossed the bag in the general direction
of the kitchen before starting to tear at Cody's clothes.
"What happened?"

"Fight. Need a shower." Cody jerked away, the shirt
coming off in Barker's hands.

"A fight with who? Damn it, this isn't just a few
punches, is it?"

"Stop it. I work with tough guys. Shit happens."

Marked - 134

There was a knife slash right across Cody's ribs.

"This isn't just shit happening." He pushed Cody up
against the wall next to the bathroom door. "Who did
this to you?" He would kill them.

"Stop. Stop, Barker. I need a shower. A fucking nap."

"You need to tell me what the fuck happened. You need
to tell me who came at you with a knife."

"Some asshole who wanted money. It happens. I'm a day
laborer. I work for cash with gangsters, cons, and
fucking druggies."

Barker growled.

Cody growled back, teeth baring. "Go tell them you
want your old job back, would you? You hate working
days."

"This has nothing to do with that! Someone hurt you!"
Cody was his, to love, to protect.

"It happens. It happens a lot. Deal with it."

"That's exactly what I plan to do, just as soon as you tell
me who did this to you." He was going to rip the asshole
who'd hurt his mate limb from limb.

Cody rolled his eyes and headed into the bathroom.

"Hey!" He growled some more and stalked after his
mate. "It's my job to protect you."

Marked - 135

"Since when?"

"Since you're my fucking mate!"

"Bullshit." Cody turned on him, eyes flashing gold. "Ten
years. Ten years I was on the run. You watched them
drive me out. Cut me. Shoot at me. Throw stones at me!
Ten years I starved and hurt and ran! Just because I can
change, you don't have the right to protect me!"

"We've been over this! I was young and scared when
that happened, and then you never gave me a chance
after that!"

"And I'm not young, scared, or in need of protection. I'll
heal. It won't scar. Leave it alone!"

"I can't!" Cody was asking the impossible.

"You don't have a choice!" The bathroom door slammed
between them.

Growling, he slammed it open again. "What the fuck
was that?"

"I said you don't have a motherfucking choice!" Cody
snapped at him.

"Why are you fucking mad at me? I didn't do this to
you!" He was going to deck Cody any second now. Or
toss him up against the tile and fuck him through it.

"Because you're miserable and I know it. You fucking
hate this, and I'm not going to be able to stay."

Marked - 136

"You're fucking staying!" He pushed Cody up against
the wall, mouth dropping to cover his mate's. This was
the thing that made sense -- this here, their connection.
He pushed his tongue into Cody's mouth, the taste there
necessary and right. His Mate. His. He wasn't ever
letting Cody go. Ever.

Growling now, he humped against Cody as he devoured
his mate's mouth. Cody fought back, growling into their
kiss, fingers like claws against him. It was a clash of
heat and anger and passion and it was perfect. Sharp
sounds pushed between his lips, Cody's tongue slapping
against his. He tore at Cody's pants, not caring if he
ripped them or not in the process.

"My only pair, asshole," Cody growled.

"I'll buy you a fucking new pair." Or make Cody walk
around naked. That worked, too. This whole working for
cash with dangerous people was ridiculous. Ridiculous.

He got those jeans off with only a little rippage and then
it was his own clothes that were in the way. His mate.
He could smell blood, sweat. Growling again, he bent to
lick at the knife wound. It was already starting to heal, to
knit at the edges.

He felt the anger surging through him again anyway.
Someone had hurt his mate. Cody's fingers combed
through his hair, petting him, stroking him. He was torn
between growling over Cody being hurt and nuzzling
into the sweet touches.

Marked - 137

"Go back to the job you love, Barker. Make yourself
happy again."

"You make me happy, mate." It was true.

"Not happy enough." There was that quiet loss, that
shame in Cody's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" He was unsettled and
growly. Sure, he didn't like the day shift, but he wanted
to spend some time with Cody. Besides, someone had
hurt his mate and it had his hackles all up.

"Take the night shift back." Cody slid away from him,
turned the water on.

"And have what? Five minutes a day to spend with
you?" Cody had a fine fucking ass.

"Don't exaggerate."

"I'm not! You're away all day, I'd be leaving as you
came in."

"It's not like we're friends, Barker. We fuck, a lot. We
don't hang out; we don't talk. We can fuck in the
mornings before I leave for work."

"You're my mate." Why was Cody being like this? He
growled, pushed the man into the shower.

"Stop pushing me!" Cody shoved back. "Why can't you
be happy?"

"I am fucking happy! I'm overfuckingjoyed!"

Marked - 138

"Liar. You're fucking grumpy all the time!"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm
pissed right now because someone fucking cut you!"

"They did. Do you know how to keep from shifting
when you get hurt?" Cody's moods changed like the
winds.

His eyes went wide. "You shifted?"

Cody blushed dark, head ducking.

"Oh, shit. Did they see?"

Shifters weren't a secret, but they tended to keep to
themselves under the full moon. And hell, Cody was the
only one he knew who could shift outside of the full
moon. "Was this a shifter-friendly job site?" If it was
Clan, well, that would make it both easier and more
complicated. He still wasn't sure what the Elders were
going to think of a shifter who wasn't subject to the
usual laws.

"Only one guy. He's a drunk. I... I should go, huh?
Before I cause more problems."

"No. No, you should stay right here. If word gets out to
the Elders, they'll summon us." Hell, he was surprised
they hadn't already. Someone had to have reported that
Cody was back. Maybe they hadn't recognized him
without the yellow, glowing eyes.

"I'm not going to see them."

Marked - 139

"I'm not sure we're going to have a choice." The Elders
were... well, the Elders.

"I won't. Period. They're not my pack."

"They run the Clan, though." They ran the city, the
werewolf side, anyway.

"Not my problem." Cody met his eyes, straight on. "I'm
not Clan. I'm Banished."

"But you won't be anymore."

"I will never be Clan. Never again."

Barker opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to
say. He was shocked.

"They turned on me, drove me out like a freak. I was a
kid, Barker. I was so fucking scared."

"I know, mate." Barker tugged Cody to him, held him
close. "Don't you just want to be home?"

"Don't you understand, mate? There is no home for me."

"This is your home! Here, with me."

Cody didn't answer him.

"You don't want to be here with me?" How could Cody
want to leave him again? He didn't understand.

Marked - 140

"I want to be here with you. I always wanted to belong
here."

Relief swept through him at Cody's words. "Good.
Good. That's what I want, too. What I've always
wanted." He growled a little for emphasis.

"They won't let it happen, mate. I think the world is
conspiring against me."

"We'll stand together. It's not just you anymore." He had
to remind himself that Cody had been on his own for ten
years. That was a long time to be bitter, to hate people.
To hate him.

He let his lips explore Cody's face, touch gently. His
fingers slid just as gently over the warm flesh, not
tickling, seeking to arouse. The easy touches seemed to
melt his mate, seduce him into stepping closer. He
licked at the corner of Cody's lips. A soft rumble
sounded, and Cody's hands wrapped around his waist.

"Want you, mate." He licked his way into Cody's mouth.

"You have me. Bed?"

"Uh-huh." He leaned into the shower to turn off the
water and then took Cody's hand, taking him to the big
bed.

He forced himself to keep the touches, the kisses, quiet
and easy. He forced himself to relax, to let go of the idea
that this was the last time. He laid Cody out on the bed
and stretched next to him, fingers exploring the tight
abs.

Marked - 141

"Mmm..." Cody groaned, arched for him. So fine. So
sensual.

He licked at Cody's lips and then began to slowly work
his way down, lips and tongue exploring. He'd never
really been able to take his time, relax. Enjoy this
beautiful man. He found one of the little nipples and
teased it with the tip of his tongue, encouraging it to
tighten up.

"Oh. Oh. Mate." Listen to that need.

He tugged Cody's nipple between his lips, flicked across
the tip again, and then simply breathed on it. Tremors
started rocking Cody's body, tiny little shivers that made
his cock ache. He mouthed his way over to Cody's other
nipple, giving it the same gentle, sweet treatment.

"Barker. Barker, God..." Cody's fingers danced over his
skin.

"Yeah, that's me, babe, your god," he teased.

"Don't stop. Please."

No, he wasn't going to stop. He was going to make Cody
wild with need.

His mate wanted him -- the scent filled the air. He
reached for the nipple he'd abandoned, pinching lightly
as he continued to tongue the other one. Cody's little
cries were like music, ringing out, filling the air. He
moved down, tongue heading for those ripped abs. The

Marked - 142

scent of his mate was heady, matched only by the flavor
of Cody on his tongue.

He circled Cody's navel, tongue dancing over the peaks
and valleys of Cody's stomach. There were dozens of
tiny faded scars, and he touched each one, licked each
one. He breathed on them and memorized where they
were. It had been a hard life for his mate. His mate. He
was going to make the rest of Cody's life right.

After licking and tracing and nosing the scars on Cody's
chest and belly, he moved to nuzzle into the dip between
hip and cock, picking up the strong musk.

Cody groaned, fingers brushing through his hair. "Mate.
Oh, mate." The call was so clear, so happy.

"Mine," he murmured, rubbing his cheek against Cody's
erection.

"Yes..." That cock dripped for him.

He lapped at the tip, drawing the flavor in. It made him
rumble deep in his chest. His mate called softly, pleasure
on his tongue. He wanted to swallow Cody's prick whole
and demand his mate's orgasm, but he made himself go
slowly, made himself lick and clean it first. Cody's hips
rose and fell, the hot cock sliding on his tongue.

He slowly added suction, mouth working as the hard
flesh moved in and out of his mouth. Soft words filled
the air, Cody's voice husky and rough. The sounds went
right to his balls, making him harder than ever.

Marked - 143

Cody's thighs parted, the offer clear. He slid his fingers
between them, finding the soft-skinned, wrinkled little
hole. The muscle shifted for him, moved for him.

"You want me."

"Yes. God, yes."

"Good. I want you, too." He pushed his head between
Cody's thighs and began to lick that sweet little hole.

"Barker. Barker. Love." The single word slid down his
spine like liquid heat.

Humming happily, he licked again, and pointed his
tongue, pushing it right into Cody's hole. The smell of
Cody overwhelmed him, left him shaken and groaning,
needing more of his mate. He fucked the sweet hole with
his tongue, pushing as deep as he could.

"Need you. Need. Please. Mate. More. Fuck, hot." Cody
was babbling for him.

He got his mate good and wet with his tongue, and then
rose up over Cody, cock pushing against Cody's hole.

"Yes. Yes. Yes." It was a chant, a prayer, and Cody
arched, bore down and took him in.

So fucking good. Groaning, he pushed, meeting Cody's
movements and getting in deep. Blue eyes met his,
human and solid and focused. He brought their mouths
together, kissing Cody as he pushed into his mate's body
again and again.

Marked - 144

Love.

The word echoed in his head. In. His. Head.

As their lips parted, it came out, the word whispering
across Cody's lips. "Love." Cody's eyes were glowing,
gold.

He watched, held the gaze while they came together.

Mate. Cody's voice whispered in his mind. Oh, fuck.

He thrust harder, filling his mate. He smelled Cody's
seed, the scent filling his nose.

"Mate!" He cried out, his hips snapping. Then he was
filling Cody with his spunk.

"Mate..." Cody's hands wrapped around his shoulders,
keeping him close.

"Yeah." He nuzzled Cody's neck, breathing his mate in.

Cody's heartbeat echoed inside him, boom. Boom.
Boom.

"I can feel your heart beating."

Cody nodded, stared at him. "I hear you, inside."

"That's crazy." It was crazy.

Cody frowned at him. I'm not crazy.

He reached back, staring. Fuck. Fuck, he'd heard that.

Marked - 145

I'm not crazy.

Mate. He didn't say it out loud, just... thought it at Cody.

Cody nodded. "Yes. Yes, Barker. Your Mate."

"How?" He could hear Cody inside him, could speak to
Cody without speaking. How did that happen?

"How the hell should I know?"

"I don't know..." He shrugged, pulling out and settling
next to Cody. "I've never heard of it happening before."

"We're freaks." Cody didn't sound terribly upset.

"As long as you're not running away again, I can live
with that."

Cody licked his bottom lip. "Go back to your night shift,
Barker. I'm not running."

"I don't know, babe." He shrugged again. The idea was
very appealing, but honestly, he wanted to see Cody
more than just a few minutes between shifts.

"If they had crappy day labor jobs at night, I'd take
them, but that's why they're called day labor."

"Maybe we can find you a crappy night job?"

Cody shrugged. "Whatever there is. I'm not picky. I
have just enough to pay for a room and food."

Marked - 146

"You're staying here," he growled.

"Still, I have to help."

"I'm not hurting for money." He didn't like thinking of
Cody out there being hurt by assholes, mugged, stabbed.

God, what had Cody wanted to do, be, all those years
ago? Hadn't the man had dreams? Ambitions? Barker
wracked his brain, trying to remember something about
Cody before things went to hell. "If you could do
anything..."

"With what, mate?"

"With your life. You're not broken anymore, you can
turn anytime you want. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything."

"You have to want something." Everybody wanted
something.

Cody shrugged. "I don't hurt. It's enough."

"Mate..." He pressed a fierce kiss on Cody.

Cody blinked, surprised, then those lips parted. He slid
his tongue in, tasting his mate again. He would never
tire of this flavor, of the feelings inside. He could feel
the wolf inside Cody now, close to the surface, close to
the edge.

"You want to go back to my grandfather's cabin this
weekend?" Cody could run and run and not worry about

Marked - 147

anyone seeing him. He liked it up there, whether he was
wolf or man.

"I would love that. This place is... huge now. The smells
are everywhere."

"It's good here, though, right?"

"This place -- your home -- is good."

"Smells like us." At the moment it smelled strongly of
them having sex.

"Smells like peace."

"Oh." That made him want to kiss Cody hard again.

Cody kissed his wrist. "I brought food home."

On cue, his stomach rumbled loudly.

Cody's laughter made him snort, and long fingers tickled
his ribs. He rolled them, trying to get away from those
unerring fingers.

Mate. I know you.

It startled him again to hear Cody inside him. Mate.

Cody's nose slid on his collarbone, suddenly wet and
cold, the change faster now that the moon was closer
again. Mate.

"I can still hear you!"

Marked - 148

Cody blinked at him, chuffing softly, laughing at him.
He batted his mate and mentally stuck out his tongue.

The wolf -- and Cody was a stunning wolf -- bounced
away, tail wagging.

Come back here!

Cody bounced back up to him, muzzle sliding on his
cheek. Mate?

He chuckled and rubbed Cody's face. Yes. Mate. Mine.

Cody flopped on his legs, panting hard.

Love you like this, mate. He didn't have to concentrate or
anything, his thoughts just slipping into Cody's mind
like they were talking.

Cody's tongue lolled. Love being whole.

Yeah, it was wonderful. He dug his fingers along Cody's
flanks, rubbing hard. He found a spot that made one leg
kick, Cody's eyes crossing with pleasure. He couldn't
help it; he started laughing. Cody's tongue swiped across
his belly, the move lazy and happy.

This is good, huh? And this being able to talk to Cody
while he was wolfed out was awesome. He wondered if
it would still work when he was shifted as well.

Perfect. The satisfaction was obvious, Cody slumped
down against him.

Marked - 149

This moment, right here, this was what made everything
else worth it.

Right now he wouldn't trade their life, all of it, for
anything.

Marked - 150

Chapter Ten

Barker nodded at Julio, the night shift bouncer giving
him a little salute.

"Busy night?" Barker asked, trying not to miss it too
much. The day shift still sucked, but he wasn't willing to
give up being on the same schedule as Cody. Even if the
asshole was wolfing out a lot.

Julio shrugged, big shoulders moving beneath the tight,
black T-shirt. "The usual. Broke up a few fights."

"Busted some heads?" Barker asked, knowing the
answer already from the feral grin on Julio's face.

"Got it in one." Julio waved at Matty behind the bar and
headed out.

Barker scanned the place before leaning against the end
of the bar, from where he could see everything going on.
It was pretty empty at this time of day, wouldn't really
get busy until ten or eleven tonight, long after Barker
had gone home. It made for long, boring days.

By three, Barker was more than happy to be knocking
off. He wanted to get home; no, needed to, needed to get
Cody out of the city so they could run together on his
grandfather's land when the change took him. Matty
handed over the take-out bag with steak that he'd
ordered and went to draw a glass of beer for the guy at
the other end of the bar who'd been drinking steadily
since noon.

Marked - 151

One of the few patrons got up from the tables on the
other side of the dance floor and slowly made his way
over. He was only a few feet away before Barker
recognized him. Harry Bongard. Harry was an old friend
and newly appointed Elder. He hadn't talked to the man
in... long enough it made Barker nervous that Harry was
seeking him out now. He tried to hide his worry.

"James Barker."

He nodded. "Harry. Congratulations on becoming an
Elder."

"Thanks. I wish I could say this was a social visit, but
I'm actually here... well, not on Clan business per se."

Barker's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean?"

"Rumor has it Cody Donner is back."

"So what if he is?"

Harry's eyes narrowed at his tone. "He's Outcast."

"He's not hurting anyone."

"Rumor has it his eyes don't glow anymore."

"Rumor's busy having it, it seems." Barker kept it light,
willed his heart to keep steady and not beat like a
runaway train. He didn't want Harry smelling anything
on him.

"Rumor always does." Harry shrugged casually.
"Someone claims they saw a wolf a week or two ago."

Marked - 152

"In the city? In our city? That doesn't seem right. Must
have been a big dog."

"Maybe." Harry's eyes narrowed; he wasn't so casual
anymore, the tension clear in the way he was standing.
"I'd be worried, though, if I knew a wolf who couldn't
change and then suddenly did change, only not on the
full moon. I'd be worried about that wolf. About what
might happen to him if the Elders of the City got a hold
of him. I mean something like that, we'd want to inspect
it, dissect it to see what went so wrong."

Barker tried not to react, but shit. They knew. The
Elders knew and they wanted to tear Cody apart to find
out what made him different. "Are you threatening me?"
Make Harry think he was worried about himself, pretend
he didn't have a clue what else the Elder could mean.

"It's more of a warning, really. I don't think you should
spend the full moon in the city. It's not a good time for
strange wolves to be here." Harry's eyes were hard, but
Barker thought he saw a hint of pity in them, lurking
somewhere in the back.

"I usually leave town for the change."

"Good. Good. That would be for the best." Harry patted
his arm and then turned and walked out, not looking
back once.

Marked - 153

Chapter Eleven

The moon was coming. He hadn't been able to
remember how to shift for the last day. Well, he'd be
honest, he was happier wolfed out -- the world was
easier, quieter, more reasonable. So maybe he hadn't
tried hard, but still he had tried.

He could feel Barker getting closer, could hear Barker
in his head. Not talking to him, more... happy to be
close. He'd gotten the truck gassed up, picked up
groceries after work. They were going out to Barker's
grandfather's for the full moon.

Cody hopped up on the window, looked out over the
city. He wanted to go, to run. His tail wagged, hard.

The door opened and closed. "Hey, mate. I'm home. And
I have fresh meat."

He bounded over. Mate!

"Hey." Barker dropped down and started petting and
scritching.

Cody licked and lapped, welcoming Barker home, tail
pounding. Barker rolled with him, and it was almost as
good as having his mate as a wolf.

Love you. Smell so good! His thoughts tumbled from
him.

Barker gasped and buried his face in Cody's neck,
rubbing against his fur. Oh, mate.

Marked - 154

He panted, nuzzling, so happy.

"You ready to go, mate? If we leave now, we'll be there
before the moon comes." Barker sounded in a hurry. His
mate wanted to run with him!

He nodded, panted.

"You should eat first. I bought you meat." Barker
grabbed the bag he'd left by the door and pulled out a
package of steak.

His mouth started watering and he bounced. Smells
good!

"Nice and fresh. Not as fresh as what we'll get up at the
cabin, but it'll do." Barker got the steak out of the stupid
plastic and put it on the floor for him.

He snapped the steak up, leaving the best part for his
mate.

Barker kissed the top of his head. "Go for it, mate. I had
something on the way home. Raw meat won't be on my
diet until the moon comes up."

He nosed the piece over. You're sure, love? It's so good.

Barker rubbed a hand over his head, tugged on his ruff.
"I'm sure, mate. Tonight we'll bring down something
good, fatten ourselves up for the full moon nights."

His head bobbed and he snapped the bite up. So good.
Laughing, Barker lounged on the ground while he ate.

Marked - 155

"You feel like a little fun before the drive?"

He chuffed softly, headbutting his lover. Of course he
did.

"Cool. Let's see who can hit the bed first!" Barker
hauled himself up and ran for the big bed.

Cody waited, then leaped, legs driving him.

Barker went down with an "oof," rolling beneath him.
"Mate! You're supposed to shift."

He rested his paws on Barker's shoulders and thought
about his human form.

Nothing happened.

"Cody?"

Mate? He yipped, suddenly scared.

"Hey, it's okay." Barker rubbed his neck. "You just
forgot how, huh?"

He panted. Yes. Yes. It'd been so long, so many days.

"Okay. Just think, hmm?" Barker touched him softly.
Remember kissing me.

Kissing you. You touching me. His mate was growing
more affectionate, warmer, every day.

Making love. Can't do that as the wolf, mate.

Marked - 156

Help me. I'm stuck.

Images of him and Barker kissing filled his head. Oh.
Oh, his mate. His Barker. His lover. Touching him,
loving him.

Change for me, mate, and it's yours.

His. Cody panted, eyes on Barker's, trying so hard to get
what he needed.

"Come on, Cody. Sex is good. But I'm not humping your
wolf."

He chuffed, holding Barker's gaze. Sex. He liked sex.

Mate. Please.

He could feel himself changing, feel himself growing
longer, losing his tail.

"Fuck, yes." Barker's mouth latched onto his, the kiss
hot.

"Mate." He opened, arms wrapped around his lover.

Barker rolled him, putting him beneath the hard body.

"Hey." He licked Barker's jaw, nibbled the strong jaw.

Barker laughed, grinding their lower halves together.
"Hey. Haven't seen this side of you in a few days."

Marked - 157

"I know. It's easier, fuzzy. I'm sorry." He should have
been working.

"It's okay. Just missed doing this."

"Mmm." He agreed, mostly.

Barker took his mouth, kissed him soundly. Barker
tasted good, better than the meat had, and suddenly
Cody was hungry, wanting, needing. The kisses left him
breathless and went on and on. He curled up, dragged
their cocks together, and started rocking.

Barker moaned and bucked into his hand. "Yeah, yeah.
Missed this."

"Feel good." He grunted, head thrown back.

Barker's mouth closed over his throat, teeth marking
him. Cody's eyes flew open and he howled, balls
drawing up. Barker bit down harder, hand joining his
around their cocks.

"Mate. Yours. Please." His hips jerked faster.

"Yes. Mine." Barker's growl vibrated along his skin.

He hummed softly. Their hands moved on their cocks,
sliding together, pushing them closer to the edge. Cody
laughed, feeling light and free. The moon was coming
and he didn't hurt.

Come with me, mate.

Come...

Marked - 158

"Yes. Come on." Barker squeezed their pricks.

His teeth rattled as he shot, pleasure flooding him.

"Mmm. Yes!" More heat bubbled up between them as
Barker came, too.

"Mate." He hummed, nuzzling into the strong neck.

Barker panted and moaned softly. "Wow. Still
amazing."

"Yeah. You smell so good." He lapped at Barker's
throat.

"I smell like yours." Barker knew. Barker understood.

"Yes." He sighed happily. "Yours."

"You are. My mate." Barker kissed his skin. "You
looking forward to the country?"

"I'm looking forward to running with you." To being
free, out of the city.

"Yeah. It's going to be awesome." Barker's lips slid
along his collarbone. "Maybe we can stay for longer
than just the full moon."

Cody hummed, eyelids getting heavy.

"We should probably get going so I'm not still driving
when the moon shows up."

Marked - 159

"I can drive." He waited for Barker's laughter. He was
liable to shift at the slightest provocation and this was
only his second full moon. His first moon with no pain.

Barker snorted. "If we leave in the next ten minutes, it
won't be an issue."

"Are you laughing at me?" He chuffed softly.

"Would I do that?"

"You would." He stole another kiss.

Barker did laugh this time, rubbing their noses together.
"I would."

"Let's go play, Mate." He stretched and wiggled, body
awake and aware and alive.

"Yeah. I can feel the moon tugging at me. It's going to
be a good couple nights." Barker gave him a hard kiss
and then bounced up and started getting dressed. "I can't
wait to get out there."

"Me, too." The wolf wanted him, but he tried not to.
Barker deserved company on the drive.

"Better get dressed, mate. No nakedness until we're at
the cabin."

"Okay. I've almost forgotten what clothes feel like."

That had Barker laughing. "You could start a nudist
colony for our kind."

Marked - 160

He shook his head, suddenly chilled. There wasn't
anyone like him. He didn't have a kind.

He went to pull on his only pair of jeans, one of Barker's
shirts.

Mate? The touch to his mind was tentative, soft.

He shivered, then the urge to go to Barker was
irresistible, so he went. I'm still a freak.

Barker's arms went around him, sheltered him. No.
You're special.

He hummed, cheek on Barker's shoulder. He wasn't
weak. He wasn't.

"Come on, mate. Let's get out of here and leave the
world behind for a while."

"Sounds perfect." Love.

Barker kissed him again, the word "love" echoed back
into his head, along with the feeling of it wrapping
around him. He relaxed, the unwelcome tension sliding
away down his spine.

Barker grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the
door. "Time to go."

He stumbled along behind, chuffing softly. Grinning,
Barker squeezed his hand and led him down the
stairwell, moving quickly. His mate was eager. They
bounded down the stairs, the moon seeming to call them
from everywhere.

Marked - 161

Barker soon had them on the open road, headed for his
grandfather's cabin, headed for where they could be free.

***

Barker waited, naked, by the truck, the moon's power
right there, moments away from turning him into his
wolf. Cody was already there, running rings around him,
and Barker would have sworn his mate was laughing at
him. It made him growl, and he glared at the sky. Come
on! He needed to change. Nothing else mattered right
now. They were safe up here, away from the city.

Cody was giddy, and Barker knew that part of it was
relief after ten years of agony, that finally his mate could
run, jump, feel.

Mate! Love! Come play!

"Yeah, yeah. Soon, mate." This was Cody's reward for
having to go through that -- being able to change
whenever he wanted. Barker growled at the sky again.

Cody's tongue slid over his thigh, muzzle dangerously
close to his balls.

"Careful, mate!" He needed those.

A cold, wet nose nudged them playfully.

"Hey!" His laughter turned into yips as the change began
to take him.

Marked - 162

His mate danced away, barking happily, calling to him.
He called back and bounded after the lean flanks, soon
overtaking his mate and leading them deeper into the
forest.

His mate was beautiful -- sleek and long, fast and light-
footed. The moon shone down, giving everything, his
mate, a glow. Those glowing eyes shone with happiness,
and Cody headbutted him happily, the scent of pleasure
and home and health filling his nose. He pounced and
rolled with Cody, barking and chuffing as they played.

Then the scent of a rabbit caught his nose and he froze,
entire body on alert as he scented the air. Mate! Rabbit!

Cody stilled, nostrils flaring, muscles tensed to pounce.

He wanted to take the lead, he wanted that very badly,
but he held himself back. For Cody. Get it, mate!

Cody didn't hesitate, leaped forward and pounced,
snapping the hare up, the wild scream cut short. Barker
gave a proud bark. Look at his mate, hunting,
succeeding. The treat was brought to him, the prey
offered over with a deep bow.

He tore into it, ripping open the belly and taking the
choicest bits for himself, then he nipped at Cody's
muzzle, leaving the rest of the rabbit for his mate.

The carcass disappeared quickly, then Cody was running
again, tail up. Chuffing happily, he gave chase, his
muscles stretching, warming up. It felt so good to just let
go and run. It felt even better to do it with his mate.

Marked - 163

He'd spent dozens of moons here, running and hunting,
searching. Now he only needed to play. He stopped and
put his head back, howling to the moon, to his mate. It
only took a heartbeat before his lover's voice joined his,
the harmony perfect to his ears.

Yes!

He howled once more and then began running again, the
wind in his fur, a thousand scents in his nose.

The biggest one of all was Cody.

Marked - 164

Chapter Twelve

Barker lay on the grass in a clearing, the sunlight warm
and good on his skin. He didn't have a clue how far
away from the cabin they were, but he didn't much care
either. He and Cody had run and hunted and played all
night long, and now he was exhausted. The grass felt
good under his back, though, and the sun was making
him sleepy.

Just one thing was missing. Mate? he called out for his
lover.

Cody loped over to him, plopped down beside him, still
fuzzy. Mate.

Barker laughed. "You're still wolfed out, babe."

Oops. Cody stared at him, and Barker could see the man
trying.

"You like the wolf better than the man." He was teasing,
but he also thought maybe it was true.

Of course, Cody had ten years' worth of full moons to
make up for.

The human slowly appeared, slowly took form. "No. It's
easier, fuzzy."

He nodded. It was. Everything got distilled down to base
instincts. He slid his hand over Cody's belly. "Some
things are better like this, though."

"Mmm." Cody's cock started filling, slowly.

Marked - 165

"Yes. That." He laughed and rolled over onto his mate,
finding Cody's mouth for a lazy kiss.

"Your butt's going to sunburn..."

"I'll risk it." Some things were more important.

He let himself look at Cody for a minute, admire. His
mate was filling out, becoming healthier, happier. There
wasn't even a scar from where that asshole had knifed
his lover. The memory of that and how it had probably
exposed Cody had him growling again, and he bent to
take Cody's mouth to keep from vocalizing it.

Easy. I'm right here .Yes. And Cody would stay that
way.

Mate. Mine. He rubbed their bodies together, the need
right there at the surface, just like always -- moon or no
moon.

Cody's belly was warm, fuzzy, soft against his cock. He
licked into Cody's mouth, his mate tasting so good, so
right.

"Horny bastard." Cody's tongue slipped against his,
caressing him lazily.

"And you're not?" Don't you want me, mate?

With every inch of me.

"Well, then. You're a pot and I'm a kettle."

Marked - 166

Cody whistled and then cracked up, the laughter pushing
between his lips. He sucked it in, along with Cody's
tongue, kissing his mate hard. The laughter died away,
Cody diving into the kiss, fingers tangling in his hair. He
let Cody lead the kiss this time, opening his mouth to his
mate.

"Stop wallowing in the dirt, you two. We've got business
to discuss." He stilled, shocked, body covering Cody's as
he looked up into shockingly familiar blue eyes. The
female looked just like Cody. Just. Well, except for the
breasts and the hugely pregnant belly.

He leaped up, growling, standing between the woman
and his mate. "This is private land," he snarled. What if
the Elders had sent her? He dismissed the thought
immediately. She was pregnant and he would have seen
her before.

"You think?" Long blonde hair was twisted up into a
casual bun. "Looking good, Cody. You grew up well."

"I don't think -- I know this is private land. It belongs to
me." Who the hell was this woman?

She laughed, nodded, and there wasn't a hint of fear on
her. "I'm fully aware that this is John's land."

John? His grandfather? "Just who the hell are you?" He
stayed between her and Cody, still on full alert, still
protecting his mate.

Blue eyes rolled. "Don't snarl at me. Cody, don't you
know me? Even a little bit?"

Marked - 167

Cody shook his head, stepping to one side. "No. No, I
don't think so."

"Don't make me ask you again -- who the fuck are you?"
He might have been more polite to a woman, and a
pregnant one at that, except he and Cody were naked as
jaybirds and she was trespassing on his fucking land.
There wasn't supposed to be anyone else here.

"Cody." Her eyes began to glow, her face changing.

"Riana." Cody stumbled forward. "You're dead!"

Riana? Cody's oldest sister? No. No way. She'd died
years ago. Not only that, this woman was changing. Just
like Cody could, in full sunlight. He wrapped his arms
around Cody, the instinct to protect his mate still strong.

Cody growled softly, and Riana stepped closer.
"Brother." The word was a deep growl.

"You're dead." Barker repeated the words flatly. This
wasn't making any sense.

"Cast out."

"You're too young to be her."

Riana snorted, tossed her hair. "I'm almost forty. Too
fucking old to be whelping again, that's for sure."

He could feel Cody shiver, body trying to change behind
him.

Marked - 168

Don't, mate. Don't let her know you can change during
the day.

Is she real? Is it her? He could smell the panic on Cody.

She's there, but I don't know if she's who she says she is.
Stay calm, mate.

Cody's fingers clenched his.

"I'm not going away, boys. We have to talk. The Clan's
coming for you."

"You going to let us put on some clothes first?" he
asked. He didn't trust her, not for a second.

"Sure." Those glowing eyes met Cody's. "Want to run
with me?"

I don't trust her, mate.

Cody frowned at her. "I don't know you."

"Liar." She smiled, winked, and headed back toward the
cabin, unafraid.

Barker growled. He didn't like this. Not at all. This
woman who looked so much like his Cody, acting like
she owned his land. His land where Cody was supposed
to be safe from the Elders, from the Clan.

He took Cody's hand and slowly followed.

***

Marked - 169

"I didn't think you'd ever change, you know? I thought
you'd have done it already if you were like us."

Cody stared at the woman, trying to remember what he
knew of his oldest sister. He'd been a child -- five or six
-- when she died. Disappeared. Went away.

Barker growled and handed him his jeans, his mate
already having pulled on a pair of his own. "Start
talking. From the beginning."

"Well, I was born. Grew up. Got boobs. Then Mom
whelped this little shithead." She was laughing at him,
but the sound was oddly joyous. "You were so cute
when you were born, so quick."

"Stop it. My sister is dead." Riana was dead.

Those blue eyes went hard as glass. "Should I remind
you, Cody? How they come all in a group -- how there
are guns and knives and rocks? How they drive you to
the end of the packlands? How they whip you until you
bleed?"

Cody growled, teeth baring.

Barker puffed up, stepping half in front of him --
protecting him. "You're like Cody, then. You couldn't
change and now you can?"

"Yes. I was mated, and the change didn't come. They
drove me out and my mate followed me. We're up in the
high mountains -- about six of us from all over the
continent. Well, four families and two outcasts. Their

Marked - 170

mates didn't come. I have babies. There are four; this is
number five."

Cody listened to her go on and on. No. No, there was no
way. "Go away."

Barker backed him up immediately. "You heard him.
This is my land. Get off it."

"They're coming, boys. The Clan. They'll say they're
sorry and then draw you in, and the first time you
change in the light, outside the moon, they'll make you
pay."

"I won't deal with the Clan." He hated them.

Barker growled. "The Clan have done enough because
he couldn't change; they're not touching him again."

"You don't think the Elders want to know why?"

Barker sucked in a breath. "You mean they'd take him
apart to figure it out, don't you?" Mate, check the road,
make sure no one's coming. This is my land, you should
be safe here.

I have to get out of here. He wasn't going back. Ever.

Check the road, then come back and we'll figure it out.
Barker looked at him, met his eyes and held them. I'm
not losing you.

Promise? He needed to know.

Marked - 171

Mine, mate. For always. If they come for you, they have
to go through me first.

Riana, if that was really her, growled at them. "Are you
listening to me?"

"Aren't you supposed to be leaving?"

"Yes, but you're my baby brother and I'm risking my
mate's hissy fit by coming to help you. Asshole."

"Where the hell were you when he didn't change on his
first full moon?" Barker demanded.

"Three hundred miles away with my family!" Her teeth
flashed. "I got a call warning me that he'd changed, that
he was in trouble."

"And you didn't come for him." Barker snarled, and
Cody thought he heard guilt in the words.

"No." She met Cody's eyes. "I changed when I got
pregnant. I thought... I thought it would be worse, being
with us, knowing you were screwed."

Cody chuffed softly, shrugged. "I didn't get pregnant."

"That's for damn sure." Barker started pacing, a low
growl in his chest. "We can get in the truck, go until the
moon hits again."

"Go where?" That exhaustion hit him again, deep and
low. This was ridiculous. "I don't have any connections
with the Pack."

Marked - 172

"No, but I do, obviously. Your return had my phone
ringing."

"We're safe here," growled Barker. "And if you want to
make a stand here, we will. This is my land. They can't
just come here and take you." Barker growled at Riana
as he said this last.

Riana growled back. "I'm not taking anyone. If you want
to stay, stay. You're an adult. You're also my baby
brother... my..."

"Prove it." He'd had enough.

"What?"

"Prove you're Riana."

Her laughter surprised him. "That's easy. It was
storming when you were born, you're allergic to
strawberries, you have a weird birthmark on your inner
thigh. You were scared of roosters when you were a
little boy, and you had a stuffed cat named 'Wicket' that
you slept with until the other boys found out and teased
you."

Does that make her legit, mate? Would anyone else
know that?

He shook his head. One or two, yes. All of it? No.

So she's real. What do you want to do? If we make her
go away, we can plan. Because she's not explaining
anything.

Marked - 173

"Look, stay, go. Whatever. I wanted to warn you, offer
you somewhere safe. I have a family to get back to, a
home in the country." Her eyes met his, chilly.
"Whatever you want, kiddo."

"You didn't say anything when I was driven out."

"No. Just think how much more fun it is for a girl who's
still reeling from losing her virginity."

"Hey, lady, just stop with the one-upmanship. You
obviously survived it. Think how much nicer it would
have been if there was someone there for you who knew
what the fuck was going on." Barker bristled and
growled, clearly still not happy about her presence.

"I did. So did you. If you need me, I'm there. Well, I'll
be fuzzy in about two weeks until the pups are old
enough, but my mate knows how to use a phone..."

That made Cody blink, shake his head. "I can't do this,
not right now."

Barker stepped forward again, making Riana take a step
back. "You've been told to get out, now go."

She flipped him off. Then she just turned and headed
away, not saying another word.

"Fucking hell. Mate?" Barker turned to him, reached out
for him.

"I should go." This was all fucked up.

Marked - 174

Barker shook his head. "You're not running away from
me. If you're going somewhere, I'm coming with you."
Barker took his arm and drew him close. Are you okay,
mate?

No! No. I... The wolf was on him, so quickly he couldn't
stop it.

Mate. Mate. It's going to be okay. You're not alone.
Barker dropped and held him, rubbed his fur.

He keened, angry and frighten, lost and a little ill. Was
he so wrong, so ill-made that no one could welcome
him? Barker just kept holding him, petting him, a
human-sounding howl answering him. He let himself
push closer, head butting into Barker.

"I've got you, Mate. I'm not going anywhere. Whatever's
coming, we face together."

He howled softly, head so heavy.

"Cody. I love you, Mate. I have you." Barker growled a
little.

Love. That word rushed through him.

Yes, Mate. Love you.

What were they going to do? Where would they go?

"Do you trust her?" Barker asked him, hands still petting
him, stroking over his flanks.

Why are we like this? She could change.

Marked - 175

Something in your family, I guess. I don't know, Mate.

You should have killed me.

Barker snarled at him. "No! There's nothing wrong with
you. You are special." Fingers digging into his fur,
Barker shook him a little.

Broken.

"You are not! Look at you! You're the wolf in the
sunshine! You can speak to me in my head. You so
aren't broken."

He pressed into Barker's hands, vocalizing softly.

"Not broken. The rest of us are. We can't do what you
can do."

He rested his muzzle on Barker's thigh. He needed to
think. To run. To do something.

I'd change if I could, mate. Change back?

He wouldn't, except for the need in Barker's voice. The
strong hands slid over him, rubbing against his fur,
Barker's need to touch him clear through their link. He
focused on his skin, his body, his legs, long and lean.

"Cody." Groaning, Barker pressed their lips together.

He nodded, staring into those worried eyes.

Marked - 176

"Together," murmured Barker. "We'll face it together. I
won't abandon you, I swear."

"You have a life here, in the city, with the Clan."

"I had a half-life in the city until I got you back. And do
you think I want to stay with people who would take
you apart?"

He hoped not. "I won't leave you again."

"And I won't leave you. And I won't let them have you.
You're amazing and you're mine. We'll run or fight or
hide, but we'll do it together." Barker was all growl.

"You swear it?"

"I swear it, Mate." The words echoed through their link
as well. Swear it.

Swear. This was his mate. They belonged together.

Barker sealed it with a kiss. They needed to stop running
in circles, now. Needed to stop chasing their tails.
Barker didn't stop kissing him until they were both
breathless and panting.

"What do you want to do, mate?"

"We need to figure this out. We haven't done anything
wrong."

"Riana seemed to think they were coming for you
anyway. She's right, and I won't let them have you."

Marked - 177

"Is my father still alive?" His mother had died when
Riana did. When Riana left.

Barker he shook his head. "He died around when... well.
I don't know, mate. Maybe he is. I don't know."

"He wasn't there. Your family was, my uncles, but Da
wasn't. I thought he was there with my brothers, but
now..." He shook his head. "I just assumed he was. Now
I can't remember him being there at all."

"None of this makes sense." Barker growled. "And I
think we need to assume we're on our own."

"So what do we do? Do we go to them, tell them to
leave us alone? They haven't done anything yet."

"Yet." Barker shook his head. "I remember what they
did to you when you didn't change. Riana was right,
they're not going to let you just be."

He shivered, pulled into himself a bit. He thought so,
too.

Barker held him close. "I don't trust them." There was
something hard and sad in Barker's voice.

"I don't, either. They hate me."

"Then we don't go to them. Maybe we don't go back at
all."

"Where would we go? You have a job, a place, a life..."
He had... Barker.

Marked - 178

"I don't know. But if we go back, they'll try to do
something to you..." Barker shook his head. "I don't
know, mate. We can't risk it."

"You could go back; I could stay here." He could stay
fuzzy, hunt.

"Did we or did we not already talk about how we
weren't leaving each other this time?"

"We did. I was offering." Butthead.

"Well, stop offering. It makes me think you don't believe
me when I tell you I'm not letting you go."

"You don't have to let me go. I'll stay here, wait for
you." He'd waited on Barker for ten years, hurting. This
would be easy.

"Too risky."

He lifted his head. "Am I risking you? Now?"

"I didn't mean for me, mate."

"But..." He sighed, leaned in. "Why did you have to
mate with a freak?"

"Stop that." Barker growled and wrapped both arms
around him.

He almost grinned. "It's true, though."

"You're special. There's a difference."

Marked - 179

"I'm a circus freak." Oh, maybe he could get a job doing
that...

"Stop it!" Barker growled and pushed him down.
"You're not. You're my mate."

"Your freaky mate." He was -- almost -- tickled.

"Stop it," Barker demanded again, mouth covering his,
shutting him up.

He pushed into the kiss, trying to out-alpha his Alpha.
Barker had the advantage of position, though, leaning
over him and pressing him into the ground as his mouth
was opened, invaded. He bit Barker's bottom lip,
tugging. Barker growled and bit back. His eyes went
wide, body arching with the zing of the sensation.
Barker chuckled and deepened the kiss, one hand
roaming over his skin.

"Don't laugh at me," he grumbled low, pushing the
words between Barker's lips.

"Touchy," muttered Barker, grabbing his tongue and
pulling on it.

He grinned, groaned, nodded. Barker's kisses grew
toothy, sharp. They should be planning. Or something.
Barker dove into loving on him, making him feel so
good. His back slid along the smooth, old floor, and
their legs twined together, denim rasping.

"Fuck. Mate." Jerking against him, Barker wasn't
smooth in the least, but it felt so right.

Marked - 180

"Yes." He could handle that. He tilted his hips, bucked
up toward the touch.

Barker tugged at his jeans, dragging them down off his
ass. His prick caught at the waistband, then popped back
up and slapped his stomach. It made Barker moan, and
his mate shimmied down, taking the head in.

"Mate!" His head banged against the floor.

He could feel Barker's smile, and then his mate took in
more of him. The heat was perfect, driving all his
worries out of his mind. The Clan could wait. Now he
needed. Barker's head bobbed, lips tight as they slid
along his shaft. His eyes were squeezed shut, his hips
pumping, thrusting up into the heat.

The suction got stronger, Barker pulling hard on him.
His orgasm hit him like a wave, crashing over him,
around him. Barker swallowed, taking him down,
drawing out his orgasm. It left him melted, worn out,
happy, and boneless.

Barker rested his head on Cody's belly.

"Mate." He reached down, fingers tangling in the heavy
mass of hair.

"I wish we could stay right here like this."

"Yes." That would work for him.

"Okay, done."

Marked - 181

His laughter chuffed out of him and Barker's joined his
in short order.

"How about we stay here until we have to hit the head?"

"Okay." He grinned. "I can hold it a long time."

Marked - 182

Chapter Thirteen

Barker didn't know what to do and he hated that. All his
life, the Clan had been there, the Elders and the Alpha
making the big decisions, setting out the laws. He didn't
trust them, though.

They'd run Cody off ten years ago, God only knew what
they'd do if they found out he could shift whenever he
wanted. Hell, they already knew. Harry had as much as
told Barker. He'd thought they'd have time, though. He
thought Harry had been trying to tell him that as long as
Cody was out of the city, his mate would be safe.

He paced, feeling the beast right there beneath the
surface, the moon so close. Cody had changed hours
ago, had been running, looking for strangers. The
problem was, Barker was afraid Cody needed to look for
friends. He wished he had someone he could ask,
someone he could confide in. All his friends were thick
with the Clan, though. Their allegiance would be with
Clan.

Cody's allegiance was with him. Solely. His mate. He
was so fucking proud of his beautiful mate who could
change whenever he wanted.

Cody's tail was up, proud, as he ran near the cabin,
barking happily.

"Hey, Mate!" Barker laughed, wishing the moon was on
them already so he could run with his mate.

Cody squealed to a halt, spun around, and came
barreling toward him.

Marked - 183

"Oh fuck." He braced himself.

Four paws left the ground as his mate leaped, tongue
lolling out to one side in pure joy. LOVE!

He went down under the force of Cody's leap, back
hitting the ground with a thump, the wind totally
knocked out of him. He managed to get his arms around
Cody, though, fingers digging into fur. Cody licked him,
paws holding him close.

"Wish I could be beastly with you, Mate." Soon.
Between the moon and his mate's closeness, his body
was eager to give over to the wolf.

The big head landed on the center of his chest, ear over
his heart.

"Cody..." He closed his eyes and held on tight, Cody's
love clear, filling him. Cody's tail thumped against his
legs. Laughing, he ran his fingers through Cody's fur.
"Enjoying the beast, huh?"

He knew that, after ten years of pain and not being able
to change, this had to be amazing for Cody, especially
out here in the wild. Cody chuffed softly, as at home in
his form as any shifter he'd ever known. He wanted
Cody to feel like this all the time, free and easy and
happy.

The hot, long tongue cleaned his throat, his chin. He
laughed and turned his face. Next it was Cody's cold
nose nudging his skin. "Hey! Cold and wet, mate!"

Marked - 184

He could feel Cody's laughter.

"Soon. The moon's almost here." He could feel it under
his skin. God, he wanted to wolf out already and run and
hunt and play with Cody.

Come play with me. Cody's teeth were on his shoulder.

It's not fair play while I'm like this. Still, he pushed
Cody off and stood.

Come play. Beautiful mate. He could feel Cody's
admiration.

He shook his head, but still he ran toward the trees.
"Think you can catch me?" he shouted. As if he had
even the smallest chance of getting away. It was a good
thing he didn't want to.

Cody chased slowly, giving him a head start, a chance. It
made him laugh, made him put on as much speed as he
could. He could feel his mate's breath on his thighs, his
knees. Damn, Cody was fast. He put on a last burst,
trying to get clear of the patch of rocks he was running
over -- looking for a soft place to land. It meant
something that Cody let him go, let him land on the soft
grass.

His initial instinct was to curl up to protect his belly,
even though this was his mate, but because it was his
mate, he didn't. Instead, he wriggled around so he was
lying on his back, looking up into Cody's furry face.
"You got me."

Marked - 185

Love you. That cold nose touched his belly, then Cody
offered him the long neck.

"Oh, mate." He grabbed it with his hand, squeezing just
the barest bit before turning it into a good scratch.
Cody's eyes rolled back, back leg thumping on the
ground.

He laughed, the sound turning into a growl as the change
came over him.

MATE! That sound was pure joy.

He leaped up and pounced on his mate, muzzle rubbing
along Cody's. Cody's paws nudged him, batted at him.
He pushed back and nipped at Cody's haunches. The
happy bark had him chuffing, rolling his mate under
him. He put his head back and howled, the pleasure
running between them. The moon was fat and full, his
mate's voice harmonizing with him.

They leaped up and started running, the ground flying
beneath their feet. They barreled through the trees,
heading for the creek, for the water.

He caught the scent of a rabbit and called to his mate.
Food!

Cody crouched down, hunching and slowed, nostrils
flaring. He was so proud of his mate -- Cody hadn't been
hunting very long, but he was a natural. He circled
around one side, making the barest bit of noise to
distract the hare while Cody inched closer. As he
watched, his mate pounced, grabbing the rabbit at the
neck and shaking it, a quick, clean kill.

Marked - 186

Teeth bared and bloodied, Cody brought the prey to
him, bowing deep. He licked along Cody's jaw and then
took his share of the organs before leaving the rest for
Cody. Cody pounced happily, almost puppy-like. He
pranced around his mate, tail up, keeping an eye on the
forest around them. Cody nipped his heels, bouncing
back, wagging hard.

Chuffing, he pretended to be headed the other way and
then pounced to the side, going for his mate. His muzzle
grabbed Cody's ribs, his mate scrabbling on the ground.
He rolled them, still chuffing, mock fighting. He felt
Cody's paws batting at him, the happy snarling making
him pant.

He loved this, loved playing and just being, the freedom
intoxicating. Cody's scent filled his nose, his heart. He
put his head back and howled out his happiness.

Another wolf howled back and Cody stilled,
whimpering softly.

Barker fell silent, head tilted.

He put his head back and howled again. a warning this
time. This was his land. His and Cody's. The howl came
again -- one of the Clan, he thought. They'd chased him.
Harry had lied about them being safe here. Maybe the
man had just wanted them out of the city, where they
could take him and Cody down without anyone else
knowing.

Marked - 187

They're here. Cody would need to decide what he
wanted to do. Stand and fight, run, go find Riana: the
choices were limited, but they were there.

Cody sighed, tail dropping. You should go if you want
to.

If you suggest I go one more time, I'm going to beat you,
mate.

The air went electric. You can try.

He snarled. We don't need to fight each other right now.

Cody ducked his head, submitting immediately.

Good mate.

We should go. He hated the thought of running from his
land, from this place that was his, but if the Clan had
come out in full force, he and Cody couldn't stand up
against them. Not and survive.

Which way?

He didn't have a clue. North? It would take them the
farthest away from the city, from the Clan.

Cody sniffed the air, nose wrinkling. You'll be human in
the morning. You'll need your things.

They'll be here by then. There was no time. They would
be trapped if they stayed.

What? You'll wander around naked tomorrow?

Marked - 188

If it keeps you safe.

Cody tossed his head, snorted at him. He growled and
started trotting off, heading north. Cody headed for the
cabin. He snapped and snarled. The Clan would be
looking for them there. Cody just kept moving. Asshole.

He went after Cody, snapping at his mate's heels. Wrong
way.

No. Your truck is there.

Hello. Wolf. Can't drive. Where was Cody's head?

Cody's eyes met his. Hello. Freak. I can.

He stopped. Yipped. Cody could be a man during the
moon?

Why not? Cody stared at him. You're my mate. I won't
leave you helpless in the sun.

I just never thought... What would it be like, to be the
wolf while Cody was a man?

Cody didn't answer, just kept moving. Growling, he
followed his mate, nipping at those haunches.

We'll get the truck, head north. Hell, we can go back to
your place, grab supplies.

The Clan would be all wolfed out and Cody could get
right by them. It was ingenious, really.

Marked - 189

His mate. His stunning mate. He howled to Cody,
putting his admiration into it.

Cody's eyes danced, twinkled for him, then his mate
started to run.

Marked - 190

Chapter Fourteen

Hurt. It hurt to be human during the moon. It hurt, but it
worked, and he had Barker, Barker's things, his bag,
money, food, and supplies all packed in the truck. Now
he just had to drive until the sun was up. The Clan could
travel hard at night as wolves, but they'd be stuck during
the day, and it wasn't like there'd be cars or weapons or
anything waiting for them when the moon made them
change.

Barker kept sniffing him, backing off and huffing. Smell
funny.

I know. I'm sorry, Mate. He took a handful of pain pills
and kept driving.

Don't be sorry. You rescued my clothes.

He chuckled. Clothes, iPod, Barker's shaving kit --
things they would need on the run.

You still smell funny. Still, Barker moved closer, head
resting on his thigh. He stroked Barker's head, breathing
shallowly. You hurt, mate.

I'm... He couldn't lie. Not mind-to-mind.

The sun will be here soon, and I can drive. Barker
growled a little and licked his hand. Or we can stop,

"We'll be safe. Beautiful wolf."

Marked - 191

A bark answered him, Barker licking his hand again,
moving closer so more of his body pressed against
Cody's thigh.

"You're so warm."

Barker chuffed for him, gave a soft woof. He found his
mate a smile, fingers rubbing the fuzzy ears. Breath
leaving him in a huff, Barker moved, pushing against his
hand. He could hear the whine of pleasure caught in his
mate's voice.

"Such a good wolf." He loved his mate with a fiery,
burning passion.

Barker's low growls were happy, pleased, and the long
tail thumped hard against the truck's seat.

He hummed, focusing on the road, on keeping it
together.

Sun's coming, mate. Maybe you should pull over.

"So soon? Has the night gone so fast?" He was starting
to waver.

Barker growled softly and nudged his arm. Pull over.

He managed to get the truck to the side of the road,
killed the engine. Barker stood and pushed the great
muzzle into his face. He draped his arms around Barker,
buried his face in the soft fur.

Love you, mate. So strong. Only wolf human during the
moon.

Marked - 192

Love. Hurt. Tired.

I know. I'm sorry. It should be me taking care of you.
Barker licked his face.

"Shh." He closed his eyes, trying to rest, trying to avoid
the questions. Why would the Clan care if he could
change? Barker kept licking, wetting his face. "I don't
know, what if they don't want me? What if it was a lie?
Why do they hate me?" Another jolt of pain rocked him,
and the urge to change was huge.

I don't know, mate. Because they're assholes? I'd rather
figure it out from a distance, though.

"I've ruined your life."

The bark he got was short, sharp.

"Don't argue with me."

Barker bared his teeth, a low growl sounding. He
chuckled. God, he loved that noise.

Don't laugh at me!

That made the laughter worse, more hysterical. Barker
barked sharply, and then the sound morphed as Barker
began to change, the sun peeking up over the edge of the
horizon.

"Mate." He watched, smiling through his pain.

Marked - 193

Barker growled and stretched, head going up and
shifting, nose sliding back into his face, body
lengthening. In a matter of moments, his mate lay next
to him, human and utterly naked.

"Hey. We made it."

"Yeah. Thanks to you. You got us far. And now we've
got the day to put more distance between us and the
Clan." Barker rose up and kissed him hard. "Guess I'd
better get dressed, huh?"

He nodded, too tired to even more. "Are you sure you're
okay?"

"I'm fine. What about you -- you looked wiped. Go
ahead and change, mate."

"Yeah?" His wolf battered at him, desperate. "Kiss me?"

Leaning in, Barker took his mouth again, tongue
pushing between his lips. He sank into this kiss, trusting
in Barker to ease him. Strong fingers slid along his
spine, rubbing and touching. Better. He leaned harder.
Better. Barker responded eagerly, the kiss going deeper.

He backed off, panting, the wolf knocking at his door.

"It's okay, mate. Go ahead."

"Sorry." He tore out of his clothing.

"It's okay. I can't imagine what it was like, holding the
moon off like that."

Marked - 194

By the time he was changed, Barker was pulling on
clothes. He curled into the seat, panting softly. Better.
Better. Better.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Barker petted
him, fingers rubbing through his fur, at his skin beneath
it.

His eyes dropped closed. Protect my Mate.

"Yeah, you did a good job of that. This part would have
sucked without clothes. Not to mention, we'll get further
with the truck." Barker started the engine up and steered
the truck back onto the road.

Music filled the cab, low and comforting, and he settled,
his bones relaxing.

"So how far did we get, mate? We're well past the cabin,
yeah?"

Yes. I headed due north, outside the Clan holdings.
Toward the Northern Packs. Only the City Pack called
itself a Clan.

"Smart wolf. I don't know what we'll find up north, but
it'll give us time to think. Figure things out a little."

He panted, tail thumping.

"See what you can really do. I mean, you can change
when you want. Even when the moon's on you, you can
be human, and when it isn't, you can be furry. There's
the telepathy thing. God knows what else you've got up
your sleeves."

Marked - 195

He stretched his paws out playfully. Barker laughed,
hand rubbing his head. The scratches felt so good. So
good.

"You picked up the money from my stash in my
underwear drawer, right?"

He chuffed softly. That. Your safe from the bottom of the
closet. Your checkbook and your laptop.

Barker's eyes left the road for a minute to look at him.
"You thought of everything, mate."

Cody preened. He was a good mate. He was.

"Hopefully we can find someplace out of the way where
we can take time to figure some stuff out."

He rested his muzzle on Barker's leg. They would. They
had to.

Barker's hand landed on his head, stroking, petting him.
"I'm not letting them hurt you anymore, mate. They'll
have to come through me."

His eyes closed, so heavy. So tired. So tired.

It must have leaked through the bond, because Barker
petted him. "Go to sleep, mate. I've got this."

He licked Barker's wrist, then boom.

Heavenly, healing sleep.

Marked - 196

Chapter Fifteen

Barker tried to find a place to stop for the night, but in
the end, he drove the truck into a field off the road,
hoping the tall grass would keep them hidden from what
little traffic there might be. He pulled off his clothes,
feeling the moon about to take him; he'd cut it close.

Cody was awake and bouncing, staying close,
encouraging him to hurry. He managed to open the
driver's side door, and then he was bounding out,
barking as the wolf took him. Cody sniffed him, nose
nudging him. He turned and smelled Cody in return,
nipping at his lover's muzzle.

He loved the happy bounce, the yips of welcome, of
admiration. He paraded up and down a little, showing
off for his mate. Look at me.

Forever. My Mate.

Yes. Forever. Come on, mate. Let's run.

Cody took off like a shot, paws digging into the ground,
tail up. Chuffing, he followed, going all out to follow his
mate. He was stronger than Cody, tall, but his mate was
running flat out, making him work for it. There was
nothing like this feeling, like running freely through the
fields, the trees with his mate. He wasn't going to give
this up. Not for anything or anyone.

He finally had wholeness, life. Love. Love. He put his
head back and howled it out to Cody. To his Mate.
Cody's voice joined his, alone this time. Perfect. He
howled once more and then gave chase.

Marked - 197

The air was cooler here, almost crisp. It would be a good
place to stay, to live. If they were both wolves all the
time. He didn't know how much there was to do when
they were non-furry. He shook off the thoughts -- they
sat heavily on his shoulders when he was wolfed out.
Now was the time to run and play and hunt and be with
his mate.

Cody circled him, heading to nip at his heels. He spun
around, chuffing, going for Cody's in return. His mate
was fast, light on his feet. Barker kept up the chase,
trying to get in there, to get the bites in first. It made him
chuff and bark and nip. Cody leaped over his back, paws
barely ruffling his fur.

He barked in surprise, twisting to face Cody. Cody
chuffed softly, tail wagging. He leapt forward to nip at
Cody's muzzle. He almost got it, but Cody danced away
in time. He gave chase, getting more serious now. He
would get Cody.

Cody's head lowered, the wolf careening to the left,
trying to fool him. He matched the move, though,
leaping in the same direction. Cody was unpracticed,
and Barker took him down fairly easily, rolling him to
nibble at the soft fur of his belly.

He growled softly, telling his mate how good he was.
Then he remembered the bond. So good, mate.

Cody wagged happily. Good.

He rubbed their muzzles together. Why can't we just do
this forever?

Marked - 198

I don't know. Cody panted, eyes happy.

He licked his mate's muzzle this time, pulling all the
scent of Cody in. The smell was home and happiness,
sex and pleasure and comfort. He woofed and licked one
more time before bouncing away. It was Cody's turn to
chase him.

Cody ducked his head and came, claws digging into the
dirt. Barker ran, dodging low-hanging tree branches and
some roots, rocks on the ground, just going all out. They
breathed together, panted together, learning how to
move as a pack.

He heard something to the right and turned, Cody right
there with him, not missing a beat. It felt amazing. It felt
right. This prey was larger than a rabbit. A small deer.
They would need to work together, to coordinate.

Mate. Deer.

Cody's eyes were fastened on it, focused.

Go right. I'll flush it that way. He didn't wait to see if
Cody had heard him, simply circled around to head the
deer toward his mate.

Cody panted, nodded, crouched low.

Now! He sprang forward, running for the deer, chasing it
toward Cody.

Cody bounded just at the last minute, springing up, teeth
sinking into the deer's throat.

Marked - 199

He stepping forward to help when a click sounded, a
red-hot pain searing through his back leg. His back end
went out from under him, a surprised whimper coming
from him. He heard Cody barking, snarling, taking the
deer down, but he couldn't get free.

He snarled, looking back, trying to figure out what had
him. A snare. Clamped around his leg. Panic filled him.
Mate! Run! Go! Cody needed to go, to get away.

Mate? His lover's attention was on him, fully, suddenly.

Go! Don't get trapped. What if it was the Clan? That
didn't make sense, but he couldn't shake it. He yanked
on the snare. A part of him knew he couldn't just pull
out of it, but he still couldn't stop himself.

Cody came to him, not listening, growling low, sniffing
his leg.

Mate! Careful! Go! He growled and twisted back, trying
to push his mate away. Cody had to run, to get away.

Be still. The words were snapped, rough. Then Cody
began to try and shift.

No, mate. Go. Be safe. Someone could be coming. If
they saw Cody, they might shoot him. He started
panicking again.

I will never leave you. The pain began to grow -- his
pain, Cody's pain.

Mate. He whimpered, cried out.

Marked - 200

Cody knelt before him, naked, human. "Okay, Barker.
I'm going to get you out, then get you to the truck and
check your leg. Okay?"

He whimpered, worried for his mate's safety, hurting.

"Shh. Here. I'll open it." The human hands worked the
snare open, then his mate lifted him like he weighed
nothing.

You hurt, mate. Don't hurt. Change back.

"Hush. I have to look at your leg."

Hurts. Maybe even more now that he was out of the
trap.

"I bet. We'll wrap it up, look at it. I don't think it's
broken."

He licked Cody's face. He had a good mate.

Cody had to stop, twice, and ease him down, catch his
breath. "I'm sorry, mate."

I can make it the rest of the way. He could ignore the
pain for Cody.

"I've got you." The care his lover took of him made his
heart soar.

He stopped arguing and let Cody do what he was going
to do. He tried to ignore the throbbing in his leg.

Marked - 201

He was placed carefully in the bed of the truck, Cody's
hands so gentle. "It didn't get the bone. I need to clean
it."

Hurts, mate. He whimpered softly, the pain filling his
head.

"I know. I'm sorry." Cody found a bottle of water, the
cool splash almost helping.

His back end twitched and he rested his head on his
front paws with a sigh. Cody kept murmuring to him,
spreading a cream, tearing a shirt to make a bandage.

So good to me. Cody had to be hurting, stuck as a man
again during the moon.

"Hush. Your poor leg." His fur was smoothed. "Thank
the Moon I was here."

He barked his agreement. Who knew what would have
happened if he'd been out here on his own? It was just
one more advantage of having his own land. Would they
ever be able to go back to his grandfather's cabin?

"Damn trappers." Cody leaned against him. "I need to
feed you."

He didn't want to make Cody have to work, but he
hadn't really had much to eat while human -- they'd
focused more on the distance driven than physical
comfort.

Cody rested their heads together. "You stay here, quiet.
I'll be back."

Marked - 202

Careful, mate. There's traps. Who knows what else?

"I will, but you need food."

He wagged his tail for his mate.

"Stay put." Cody shifted back, yelping at him, then his
mate ran back into the grass.

Careful, Mate!

Shh. Hunting.

He chuffed and thumped his tail once more before
settling his muzzle back on his paws. He tried not to
worry, but he couldn't help it. If Cody tripped another
snare, his mate would be trapped until sunrise. Trapped,
hurting, bleeding. Cody's mind brushed over him.

Safe? He needed Cody to be okay, far more than he
needed to eat. Come back.

You need food. I'm being careful.

He growled. Such a stubborn mate.

The sun was barely lightening the sky when Cody
returned, a haunch of the deer dangling from his jaws.
Barker could feel the change coming, and he snapped up
the meat, knowing he couldn't eat it once he'd changed.

Good. Good, mate. Cody rested beside him.

Marked - 203

He'd barely finished the meal when the sun crested the
horizon and Barker felt himself change. The leg hurt
about five hundred times more as a human, and he
clenched his teeth hard, holding back a cry.

He looked down at it, where Cody was licking it,
cleaning it. Fuck, he was torn up. It could be worse -- a
lot worse. His leg was whole, the bone was whole, but...
He let Cody wash it, knowing it was the best thing for it
-- it would heal quicker. "Shit, that's not going to make
driving easy." He even maybe was going to have to let
Cody take care of it.

I'll drive. You'll rest.

"Yeah, I think it's going to have to work that way." He
hadn't even tried walking on it, but it hurt like a son of a
bitch, and he was sure any sort of pressure on it was
only going to add to that. "You wanna change and help
me get into the cab?"

He felt Cody's soft sigh, then watched as Cody changed,
slowly losing his fur.

"It doesn't hurt when the moon's not up, does it?"

It took Cody a minute to answer. "No, Mate. Let me
help you."

"That wasn't very convincing."

Cody winked. "Up, oh growly one. I need to get us to a
town, a pharmacy."

Marked - 204

"Yeah. just don't hurt yourself." He sat up and swung his
legs over the side of the truck bed. Oh, he was not
looking forward to standing.

Cody walked up between his legs and lifted him,
grunting under his weight.

"Cody! Put me down, you fool."

"Your fool." Cody panted. "Open the fucking door."

He got the door open and grabbed onto the sides of the
truck, helping get himself into the passenger seat. He
nearly passed out when his leg hit the side of the truck,
the pain shooting through him.

"Easy! Easy. Fuck." Cody growled, eased him in. "Do
you have any painkillers?"

"I don't know -- you're the one who packed the truck
up." He could sure use something, though. Painkillers,
getting knocked out, a shot of something strong -- he
wasn't feeling particularly picky.

"I grabbed that bag in the bathroom." Cody started
rummaging, eyebrows furrowed.

He nodded, leaning his head back against the seat.
"Yeah, yeah, I think there's something in that..."

"Bingo. Here's a Vicodin and an energy bar. Oh, dude.
Penicillin. You get all three, lucky bastard."

"I'm not feeling very lucky just now."

Marked - 205

"Why not? The leg's not broken; the muscle looks
bruised but whole."

"Hurts like a mother. I tell you what, I'll feel lucky when
it's better, okay?"

"Okay." A lukewarm bottle of water was handed over,
and a pair of shorts.

He took the water and drank half the bottle down before
grabbing the Vicodin and penicillin, swallowing them
dry and following them with the rest of the water. The
shorts he just looked at. He wasn't sure he wanted to
fuck around with pulling them up over his bad leg. He
settled them in his lap so they covered him up and gave
Cody what he hoped was a winning smile.

Cody didn't argue, just nodded. "That works, man. Let
me get us to a town."

"Okay." The engine came on and the truck lurched
forward. Barker closed his eyes, breathed deep through
his nose. He was going to find the asshole who'd set the
snare and put him in it.

Possibly put him in two of them. Fucking hunters.
Cheating. He knew he was growling, but he couldn't
seem to stop and he was too pissed off about the snare to
care.

"Barker?" Cody looked at him, worried.

"What?" he snapped, pain and anger making him short.

Marked - 206

A flash of emotion bled through their connection, then it
went silent. "Do you need me to stop?"

"No. Sorry." He growled. "I just need fucking hunters to
get caught in their own goddamned traps."

"I hear that. We'll get you a hotel somewhere, let you
sleep."

He shook his head. "We need to keep moving, mate."

"They won't chase us." Cody sounded as unsure as he
felt.

He shook his head; he knew better. If they'd lied to him
about being safe at his grandfather's, then he would bet
they'd chase Cody even farther. "We can't chance it. I
can sleep here." In fact, the pain was beginning to ease
off a little as the Vicodin kicked in.

"It'll be okay. I'll protect you."

He could feel his head roll on his shoulders. "No. I can't
protect you. Keep driving."

"I am driving. You're a turd."

"Fine. I'm a turd. Don't stop for this turd. Just drive until
you can't anymore."

Cody's fingers twined with his. "Rest, Mate. Please."

"As long as you keep driving, I will."

"Okay. Okay. I'm driving."

Marked - 207

"Just keep on doing it." He closed his eyes and sighed.

Cody's chuckle was wry and quiet, easing his nerves a
little.

He squeezed the hand holding his and let the sound of
the engine lull him into a doze.

***

Cody drove until he found a town big enough for
anonymity, then he searched for a pharmacy. He needed
to clean Barker's leg, get food, find somewhere for
Barker to rest, find work for a day or two for cash.

Barker blinked awake when the truck stopped at a stop
sign. He growled softly. "Why are we stopping?"

"I need food. Caffeine. You need antiseptic." Butthead.

"We have to keep moving. I can't protect you."

"I don't need protection. I'm fine."

"I'm your mate. It's my job."

"Uh-huh." Barker was being crazy.

"We move on as soon as we've got those things."

"Stop it. You need to bathe. I need to sleep. We're
getting a fucking hotel." He'd take on the fucking Clan if
they came.

Marked - 208

Barker shook his head, started growling. "No. We keep
moving. I'll fucking drive if I have to."

He growled right back. "Listen to me."

"When you start making sense, I will."

This was not working for him. "We're getting a hotel
room."

"Why are you being so fucking stubborn? The Clan is
coming for you, get it?"

"We've driven eight hundred miles. The Clan doesn't
leave the city." He stared at Barker, then pulled over.
"They drove me out, I'm leaving. Shit, you asshole. If
they're coming for anyone, it's you."

Barker shook his head. "No. You don't understand."
Barker sighed and rubbed his face. "They came to me
before we left for my granddad's place."

"Came to you? Who did?" What had Barker been
keeping from him?

Barker grimaced. "An old friend. Or so I thought. He
came to warn me. To get you out of town."

"Why? Why do they want me?" Hell, he'd been skulking
in the city off and on for years. Someone would have
seen him; they would have had to.

"Word got out that you can change now, Cody. From
when you got mugged. Had to be. They want to know
why and they won't stop at killing you if that's what it

Marked - 209

takes to figure out why. You staying alive is not on their
agenda."

Cody shook his head. Monsters. They didn't deserve to
be animals.

"I won't let them hurt you, Cody." Barker looked at him,
eyes full of pain, and also fire. "They will have to kill
me first."

"No one's going to hurt me, Mate, but we have to get
you somewhere to rest." Hell, he needed rest.

"They want to. Assholes. Afraid of anyone different
from them. God. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, mate. I should
have stood up to them."

He shrugged. "And I should have died, committed
suicide, but I didn't."

"I'm not going to let you do that, either."

"No, you're going to let me find a hotel and get a room
for a day or two."

"Now you want to stop for a day or two?" Barker
growled. "Damn it, Cody, I'm worried about you."

"And I'm not worried? You're hurt! I'm hungry and tired
and it's not supposed to be like this!" The wolf hit him,
hard, square, and he fought the change.

"Mate! Fight it!" Barker growled. "Okay. We can stop.
No changing until we're in a hotel, though. Hold on."

Marked - 210

He nodded, panting, head bobbing as he did.

Barker's hand wrapped around his thigh. "Sorry."

"Not your fault." It was so much easier to be fuzzy.

"Just get us somewhere private, huh?"

"I'm trying." He found Barker a grin, a wink.

Barker's smile looked a little forced.

"We're going to be fine. You need a shower, a bed."

"I need the fucking Clan to back the hell off. They didn't
want you back then, they can't have you now."

"I can agree to that."

"Hey, we agreed on something today." Barker winked
and then winced as they went over a bump, the truck
jostling.

"Don't get used to it." Despite the words, he winced, too,
hating that he was hurting his mate.

Barker's laugh was strained. "We're stopping soon,
huh?"

"I promise. There's a motel up there. Not a chain. One
story."

"Thank fuck, I think I'd rather die than face stairs."

"Well, then. No stairs." He wasn't sure what else to say.

Marked - 211

Barker just grunted. He was looking a little white along
the edges. Thank God they were coming up on the
motel.

"Stay. I'll be back." He parked, jogged up to the office,
and tapped on the window. It didn't take a second to get
them a room, a key.

Barker was where he'd left him, eyes closed, head back
against his seat.

"We have a room in the back." Cody started the truck
up, moved them around.

"Good. Shit, get me a towel or something to throw
around my waist. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting these
shorts on."

"I'll carry you in, but I have to get the door open first."

"You are not going to carry me in." Barker was growling
again.

"Quit growling at me." He bared his teeth, puffed up a
little.

"Then get out of my fucking way so I can get in and lie
down."

"Fine." He tore the door open, carrying in supplies and
ignoring Barker completely. Once the man was in and
settled, he'd go look for food, for a place that needed a
dishwasher for the night or something for a little under-
the-table cash.

Marked - 212

By the time he came around from the bed of the truck,
Barker was a few steps from the truck, pale as a fucking
ghost, looking like he was about to pass out. He arched
an eyebrow, then grabbed the man and carried him into
the room.

"Hurts, mate." The sounds coming from Barker's throat
were more like whimpers than growls at the moment.
And he was hot, hotter than usual.

"I'll get you in the tub and get you another antibiotic."
He didn't panic. He wouldn't. If Barker got too bad, the
man would succumb to the wolf, even without the
moon, and start healing faster.

"Sorry," muttered Barker, letting Cody manhandle him.

"Shh." The tub was small but clean, and he got the
lukewarm water going.

Barker sat on the edge of the tub and put his hand in.
"Feels cold."

"It'll help your fever. You want a little more hot?"

"Whatever you want, mate."

"I think you need to cool off, then we'll make it more
comfortable."

"Sure." Barker slipped into the tub at his urging, gasping
as his body slid into the water.

Marked - 213

He looked at Barker's leg. It was ugly, but not as bad as
it could be.

"I gonna live?" Barker asked, already looking slightly
better for being in the cool water.

"You are. You're going to be sore, but it's not bad
enough to make you change, huh?" He poured the water
over Barker's chest.

Barker shook his head. "No. I would have already." He
got a weak grin. "Just bad enough to make me
miserable."

"I'll find food, money. I'll take care of you."

"I should be taking care of you."

"You can tomorrow." Silly mate.

"'Kay." Barker closed his eyes and leaned his head
against the lip of the tub.

He let Barker soak while he found more meds, a drink of
water, some clothes.

"I'm getting cold." God, Barker could whine when he
was hurt.

Cody turned the hot water on, let some of the cold water
out.

"Good to me."

"Love you."

Marked - 214

Cody dressed in his work jeans, a flannel shirt. "I'm
going to find food, see if I can't find a place that'll give
me a few hours' work."

Barker frowned. "You're leaving?"

"Don't we need some cash?" He lived hand to mouth, at
best.

"You said you brought the safe as well as my stash from
the underwear drawer, right? We've got money, mate."

"Yeah? I can find work for you." His shoulders relaxed,
though, the tension easing.

"Let's wait until we start running low. Besides, I don't
want you to go."

"Okay." He went to switch the water out again, suddenly
exhausted.

Barker shook his head. "No, I just want out. I want to lie
down and go to sleep and not be moving for a bit."

"Okay. Let me help you up." He got Barker upright, got
them both moving to the bed.

Barker leaned on him, head on his shoulder. "I'll be back
to normal tomorrow," growled Barker.

He licked Barker's jaw, his chin, the wolf trying to come
again.

Marked - 215

Barker pushed their lips together, the kiss lazy, more a
press of skin. "My mate."

"Yes. I'll guard you." He swore it. No one would attack
his mate.

"Trust you." One of Barker's eyes opened. "Only you."

"Good." He kissed the closed eyelid.

Barker kissed his fingers. "Yes, Boss."

He waited until Barker was sound asleep before he
changed, let himself relax, watch.

Stand guard.

Marked - 216

Chapter Sixteen

Barker's sleep was troubled by dreams, nightmares. The
Clan chasing them, the Elders tearing Cody open to see
how he worked. He ran and he fought, his leg dragging
behind him, hindering him. He woke up, barking, the
sound strange in his human throat.

Cody was on all four legs, snarling, bouncing from
window to door, checking for threats. He looked around
wild-eyed, going into a crouch and ignoring the pain.

Mate! What is it? His heart was pounding, pounding.

Are you okay? You were screaming! Did they come?
Cody's exhaustion poured from his mate, his lover
clearly tired to the point of near insanity.

Dreaming. I was dreaming. He thought. He was pretty
sure.

Cody blinked for him, then the soft nose brushed his leg,
tongue cleaning it. Again.

He let his hands drop to Cody's head, fingers digging
through the fur. "Mate." God, his voice was rough,
rusty.

Cody cleaned him, then eased him back onto the bed,
sniffing him, scenting him.

"I'm good." Better, anyway. His fever was gone and the
pain was... well, he needed some fucking painkillers, but
he was gonna live.

Marked - 217

Cody whimpered for him, nuzzled him.

"I don't suppose this place does room service?" He
needed food. Of course, the town was big enough there
might be a pizza joint.

Cody chuffed softly, laughing at him.

"Aren't you hungry?" Cody had to be as hungry as he
was, maybe even more so.

Hungry.

"You're going to have to change, mate. Wolves don't eat
pizza."

Cody chuffed again, headed to him, muzzle on the bed.

"Come on. Let me feel skin instead of fur."

Cody's face started to change, to stretch.

"Mmm. Come on, Mate. Skin on skin. So good." His
lover tried so hard for him.

Slowly, painfully, Cody changed for him, eyes staring at
him over huge dark circles. He knew how tired Cody
was, how much his mate wanted to just lie down and
sleep, but instead, Cody had changed for him. For him.
He leaned in and pressed their foreheads together.

"Mate." Cody kissed him.

"Mmm..." He let his pleasure at being with his mate purr
from him.

Marked - 218

When their lips parted, he tugged Cody up onto the bed
beside him. "Pepperoni, bacon, and hamburger?"

"Mmmhmm." Cody pressed close. "You feel better."

"I guess. I just know the fucking ache in my leg has
turned into a huge hole in my gut."

"There are some protein bars to tide you over 'til the
pizza shows." Assuming they ordered it.

"Oh, yum." He gave Cody a grin and nodded at the little
table holding the lamp and phone. "There should be a
local phone book in there."

Cody rolled over, letting him see the long, lean back. He
reached out, unable to resist, fingers sliding along
Cody's spine. Cody's muscles jerked and trembled,
responding to him.

He kept touching as Cody opened the drawer and
grabbed out the phone book. "You call -- I sound like
something died in my throat."

"Hey, I killed the squirrel before you ate it."

That had him laughing, and it felt good to do it, to
release some of the tension the dreams had left in him.

Cody called, ordered them two large pizzas and a two-
liter of Coke, both of them periodically cracking up.

Marked - 219

He lay back on the bed with a sigh, feeling more tired
than he liked to admit. "How long did you pay for?"
They needed another day of sleep, both of them.

"Three days. I thought you needed sleep."

"Good. I don't think we should stay that long, but we can
sleep until tonight." He was past the change; he could
drive.

"We'll see. I can't drive yet, man, I'm seeing things."

"I'll be well enough by this evening to take it on." Hurt
or not, they had to keep going. He knew what the Clan
would do if they ever caught up with Cody. He wasn't
going to let that happen.

"Maybe." Stubborn mate.

Barker snorted. "Go get some clothes on, mate. You
don't want to answer the door naked, trust me. We're
trying to fly below the radar, not make some poor pizza
boy call the local cops."

"Yeah, yeah." Cody looked exhausted, droopy, but the
man dressed quickly.

"Sorry, mate." He hated having to lean on Cody as hard
as he was -- he was supposed to be taking care of his
mate, looking out for Cody, not getting injured and
making Cody do all the taking care of.

"Shh. You'll eat and rest."

Marked - 220

"And so will you -- you look like you went ten rounds
with Sugar Fists McLean."

Cody nodded, dismissing him. He stuck his tongue out
at his mate. Cody chuffed softly, rolled his eyes.
Grinning, he opened his arms, wanting his mate close.

"I have to wait for the pizza." Still, Cody pushed into his
arms, careful of his leg.

"You don't have to wait for it by the door." He nuzzled
his mate, rubbed their cheeks together.

"You smell good." Cody moaned for him, eyelids heavy
for a second before they popped open.

"Yeah? Not like sickness?"

"No. No infection."

"Good." He nibbled at Cody's lips, at his cheeks.

"Mmm." He could feel his mate leaning close, then
jerking awake.

He needed Cody to stay awake until he'd eaten. Waking
up hungry was a lousy way to start the day. He kept
touching lightly, nipping sharply now and then, keeping
his mate from falling asleep.

"Not sleeping. Watching." Cody panted softly, eyes
glowing.

"So strong, mate." He let his pride and admiration show.

Marked - 221

"Love you. Will protect you."

"My job." He growled a little.

"Not right now."

No, but soon. His mate was exhausted. He stroked his
fingers through Cody's hair, thumb rubbing along the
side of one eye. They both jumped when the knock at
the door sounded.

"Pizza."

Cody got some money, went to the door.

Barker tensed, stood before Cody got the door open.
"Check before taking off the chain," he growled.

"I know." Cody growled back, eyes flashing.

He didn't care if the reminder had pissed Cody off, it
was too important. "Just fucking check."

The knock came again. Cody nodded, checked the door,
shoulders taut. Barker stayed tense, ready to leap to
Cody's defense until his mate relaxed marginally. It was
the pizza boy. The smell made him growl and rumble,
made him toss his head. So good.

Cody traded cash for pizza boxes and drinks, and got the
door locked again, the chain up on it.

"Come on, come on. I'm hungry enough to eat the damn
box."

Marked - 222

Cody tossed the pizzas to him, double checked the locks
on the doors, and sucked down a quarter of the Coke
straight from the bottle.

"Don't drink so much of that it keeps you awake. Unless
you want to go ahead and get us moving after we've
eaten." He tore open the first box and grabbed two
slices.

Cody flipped him off, nostrils flaring. He was too busy
shoving pizza into his mouth, taking a bite from one
slice and the other, to reply in any manner at all. Cody
grabbed the other box, eating quickly, quietly.

He wolfed the first three slices down like he hadn't eaten
in days, and then finally slowed down long enough to
take a few long gulps of the Coke and wipe his mouth
with the back of his hand. "Good pizza."

Cody grunted, eyes glowing gold at him.

"Finish the pizza before you shift, mate. Pizza and wolf
stomachs are not the best match -- trust me on this one."

Cody's answer was a nod.

He'd eaten nearly the entire pizza before he was full, his
stomach feeling like it was bulging. He drank some
more Coke and then collapsed onto the bed with a sigh.

"You think there's anywhere we'll be safe?" They were
headed north, but exactly where, he didn't know. Mostly,
he didn't know who to trust.

Marked - 223

The Clan and whoever answered to them were a distinct
and definite threat. Cody's sister and whoever else was
in the mountains with them... He didn't know if he could
trust them, either. He'd bet they wouldn't want much to
do with him -- he was normal, he was Clan. He was
pretty sure they wouldn't hurt Cody. The Northern
Packs... he didn't know how suspicious they'd be of
Clan, even Cast Out Clan.

"They can't keep coming."

Barker nodded slowly. He wasn't so sure about that. "I
don't think they know about the bond." He wasn't sure if
Cody being able to change whenever he wanted would
set a high enough price on his head that they'd never be
able to stop running, but the bond thing -- he was pretty
sure if they found out about that, he and Cody would
never be free.

What Cody could do was something special. What they
could do together was... sensational.

"Good. The less they know, the better. Wolves are
territorial. They shouldn't follow us."

"Unless they decide we're part of their territory." He
shook his head, though. "No, I think you're right. I think
if we stay away, far away, we'll be okay." He still wasn't
sure where they were going to go, though. He'd never
lived anywhere else, his grandfather's land the farthest
he'd ever been from home.

"Okay. You should rest." Cody's distress was leaking
through the bond, making him tremble.

Marked - 224

It immediately put him on the alert. "Sure. After you tell
me what's wrong."

"Wrong? Nothing." Liar.

"You can feed that shit to someone else. I'm your mate,
Cody. Not to mention I can feel it your worry in my
head. What. Is. Wrong?"

"Nothing!" Cody snarled softly, teeth bared.

He pushed the pizza boxes out of the way and latched
onto Cody, dragging his mate to him. "Don't feed me
that bullshit."

Cody snapped at him, teeth clicking.

"What is wrong with you?" he growled.

"Nothing." Cody was trembling, eyes rolling. His mate.

Mate! He cried out through their bond, pretty sure Cody
wouldn't be able to hide from him when they
communicated like this.

Tiredtiredtiredtiredsleepsleepsleep. Seeing things. His
mate was hallucinating. Damn it. Why hadn't Cody just
told him? Stubborn asshole.

Growling, he pushed Cody so his mate was lying down.
"Get some sleep, mate."

"Protecting you." Cody fought him, crying out.

Marked - 225

He stretched ignoring the pain in his leg, and lay mostly
on top of his mate. "You're done for today. It's my turn.
Go to sleep before you do something crazy."

"Protecting. Keeping watch. My mate." Cody wasn't
even seeing him.

Sleep. It's safe now. I'll watch. He growled softly.
Change and sleep, mate.

"I'm watching..." Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.

"I'm watching. You sleep." Stubborn mate.

"No."

"Don't you make me knock you out." He growled and
glared down at Cody.

Cody growled back, almost wolfy again.

"Go on, change. Sleep. I need you with it when we start
moving again."

Cody's head rolled, poor eyes staring at him. He kissed
his mate, tongue pushing in, demanding Cody's
surrender. The kiss was toothy, sloppy, and Cody fought
him, but only for a moment. He found Cody's cock with
one hand, jacking it, determined to do what it took to
send his mate to sleep.

Mate? Cody sounded surprised.

Yes. Mate. Making you come. Making Cody sleep.

Marked - 226

Have to watch... He could feel Cody's need like an ache.

No. Your mate will watch. He tugged harder, thumb
rubbing across the head of Cody's cock.

Mate. Mate. Cody's need hit him.

He groaned as his own cock firmed, responding to
Cody's need. Cody hummed, growled, head tossing. He
went back to kissing, to jacking, pushing at Cody to
come. He could hear Cody, hear the desperate, shattered
little thoughts.

He bit at Cody's bottom lip, tugging on it. Gimme.

Mate. Love. Need. Yes!

Heat sprayed over his hands. He growled happily into
the kiss and then slid down Cody's body, licking the
come from his mate's belly. Cody moaned, boneless,
quiet.

He kissed Cody's face. Sleep, mate.

Love. Safe.

"Yes, mate. Safe. Sleep."

Those eyes held his for a second, and then he was
holding a wolf. A deeply asleep, limp wolf.

Sighing in relief, Barker laid his own head down on the
pillow and held on as he drifted off, one ear still tuned to
the noises around them.

Marked - 227

***

Chasing him. They were chasing him.

"Brother." He looked over at the woman, his sister.

"What? Can't you leave me alone?"

"I'm trying to help you, you ingrate!"

"Ingrate? Where the hell have you been?"

She snapped at him. "Banished. Just like you!"

Mate? Wake up, mate, you're dreaming.

His sister gasped. "Who is that?"

"My mate. You can hear him?"

"I'm in your head, in your dream, Brother, of course I
can hear him!" Her eyes narrowed. "How come you
can?"

"What?" He scrambled away, back. Fuck. Wake up.
Wake up.

"Cody. Come on. Wake up." Barker shook, him.

His eyes popped open. "She knows."

"Cody? Who knows what?" Barker stared down at him,
growling, bristling.

"My sister. She heard you in my dream."

Marked - 228

"In your dream." Barker blinked and then relaxed down
beside him. "You were dreaming, mate. Having a
nightmare, really."

He nodded, heart racing. "She knows about us. Our
bond."

"But it was just a nightmare, mate."

"I..." He shook his head. No. No, it was her.

"You think it was real?"

"I... I don't know. It was weird." He was so tired of
nothing being normal.

Barker growled. "I hate not knowing what the hell is
going on. Is there anyone we can trust? Anyone we can
talk to?"

"I don't know. You're the only one I trust. You're the one
with friends, Barker. Family."

"Family who advised me to stay away while you were
being run off, who advised me to forget you. And yes,
friends -- who came to warn me the Clan was going to
grab you and tear you to pieces trying to figure out how
you work. I wish my grandfather was still alive."

"I do, too." He wished things weren't... broken. Maybe
he was cursed.

Barker pulled him close. "We'll get through it."

Marked - 229

"You think so? I didn't mean to bring this on you."

"You've had it hard way longer than I have, mate. This
isn't your fault."

"How can it not be?" How could it not be?

Barker shrugged, frowned. "Because... because I came
after you."

"What?" That didn't make sense.

"I followed you, made you come up to the cabin with
me. So it's not your fault, 'cause I did it."

"You don't regret it?"

"Are you kidding? I got to see you change. I have a mate
who's with me now. A beautiful wolf who can be a wolf
any time! Shit, babe, you're something special." Barker
gave him a hard kiss. "Besides, my life was fucking
boring."

Warmth filled him up, pushing the sick, sad loss aside.

Pushing him onto the bed, Barker kept kissing him. My
mate. Mine. Love you. Won't give you up. Won't.

Your leg? The kisses made him dizzy, made him hard.

Better enough to ignore.

Need. He needed.

Marked - 230

I know. Me, too. Barker kept kissing, one hand sliding
on his skin.

His cock filled, his body tight, needing.

"I can feel your need through the bond." Barker met his
eyes, and it felt like his mate was looking into him.

"Do you like it?"

"Mmmhmm." Barker kissed him again, tongue twisting
with his. He could feel Barker's need through the bond
as well, hungry and all for him.

He needed this, needed to feel wanted, mated, whole.

Barker rolled them so he was on top, legs on either side
of Barker's thighs. "Ride me, mate."

"God, yes." He sucked his fingers into his mouth, wet
them, then wet his hole.

Barker groaned, then growled, hands wrapping around
his hip. He pressed two fingers inside, the stretch sweet,
deep. Deep, but not enough.

"Want you," Barker told him, the need filling their bond
as well.

"Take me." He was Barker's.

Barker shifted him, pressed the tip of the hard cock
against him. He let his fingers slip free, let Barker press
in.

Marked - 231

"Oh, fuck, you're tight." Barker pressed up, hips pushing
the thick prick into him.

He threw his head back, throat working. "More. Please."

"Uh-huh. More. Lots and lots more."

He fought the urge to howl as Barker buried himself up
to the root. Then Barker pulled out and thrust back in,
hands pulling his hips up and bringing them back down.

"Mate. Again." He drove himself up, slammed himself
down.

Barker met his thrust, adding his power to it.

"Yes!" His toes curled, their skin slapping together.

"Mate! Mate!" Barker's voice rang out.

He nodded, grunting. Yes. Mate. Please.

Barker's hand slid around his cock, his own movements
driving it along his lover's palm. Pleasure so sharp it was
almost pain shot up his spine.

I feel you, mate!

He couldn't answer. He simply felt and moved and rode.

They moved together for a long time, the pleasure
building, twisting. Barker's gaze burned into him, the
need there echoed by their bond. For the first time in
days, Cody felt whole. Barker's skin became limned

Marked - 232

with sweat, his, too, the sound of their bodies coming
together loud.

"Need." More than breathing.

"Take," muttered Barker as love and need and Barker's
strength pushed toward him.

"Yes." He slammed back, his ass hitting Barker's thighs.

"Fuck!" Barker cried out, the hand on his cock going so
tight Cody thought the skin might split.

Spunk shot out of him, his ass squeezing Barker's prick.
Barker's climax followed his almost immediately, heat
spraying deep inside him. His howl rang out, filling the
air, rejoicing. Barker's met it, the sounds not quite right
from their human throats, but heartfelt, real.

He leaned down, cheek on Barker's shoulder, panting
hard. Barker's hands slid around to hold onto him, his
lover matching him breath for breath.

"I don't know what we're supposed to do, mate."

"I say we run until we feel like we've put enough miles
between us and the Clan. Then we can think without it
hanging over us." Barker's voice rumbled up along
where their chests were pressed together, almost like a
purr soothing through him.

"Okay." He nodded, relaxed down against his mate,
hummed softly.

Marked - 233

Barker kissed the top of his head. "It is okay, mate. No
one will hurt you, I swear."

Just then, the door of the motel room burst open, the
sting of a dart in his neck sending him winding into a
sudden, undeniable blackness.

Marked - 234

Chapter Seventeen

The sound of the door slamming open startled Barker,
making him jerk as Cody became a dead weight on top
of him.

Howling, snarling, he shoved Cody off him, putting
himself between his mate and the door. Ignoring the
pain in his leg, he went to his haunches, snarling as he
faced the threat.

He saw faces he'd grown up with, friends become
enemies. "Let him go, Barker. He's not one of us."

"He's mine." He reached behind him, pushing Cody until
his mate's body fell onto the floor with a thump, the
entire bed between Cody and these assholes.

Mate! He called out through the bond. He needed Cody
to wake up.

Barker... The thought was distant, fuzzy.

"He's an abomination. Unnatural. He'll expose us."

He stayed crouched where he was. "Expose us?" He
snorted. His mate was special, better than the rest of
them. Wake up, mate.

"Yes. He's abnormal. We cannot accept him." Harry
looked at him, the Elder's eyes actually sad. "Please,
friend. Move."

Trying.

Marked - 235

Now, mate. I need you to run.

"We aren't hurting you. Leave us be." They knew what
being mates meant; they should have known better than
to even ask.

"We're going to take him. If you walk away now..."

"You can't have him. He's mine." He snarled. "My mate.
Leave us before I tear you to pieces."

The rifle lifted, pointed at him. "Don't make us kill you."

He barred his teeth, growled softly. Mate. I could really
use a distraction about now.

You got it.

Cody growled, leaping from behind the bed, caught
between human and wolf. Shit. They were going to be
lucky if they weren't both shot. Growling himself, he
launched himself at Harry, going for the arm holding the
rifle.

"Brother!"

"Get back, you silly bitch!"

Three more people pushed into the room, and Barker
didn't know how they were all fitting.

The rifle went off -- pointing at the ceiling, thank fuck --
and Barker wrestled Harry for it, wanting the gun out of
the asshole's hands before Cody was hurt.

Marked - 236

He heard Cody's snarl, heard barking and the sounds of
flesh hitting flesh behind him. He finally got the rifle out
of Harry's hands and knocked the butt of it across the
man's head, hard.

Then he stood and shot the fucking rifle at the ceiling,
on purpose this time, before aiming it at the crowd in
general. He had no idea who some of these people were,
and he wasn't taking any chances. "Everyone fucking
freeze."

Cody -- who was fully fuzzy, along with a painfully
pregnant wolf and a huge gray male -- trotted over to
him.

Harry was passed out on the floor, another Clan member
whimpering and curling over a badly mauled arm, while
the third man had indeed frozen where he stood. Dirk
was his name, if Barker remembered rightly, and he was
mostly kept around for his muscles.

Mate. Who are these wolves? Hadn't there been more
people just a few moments ago?

Sirens sounded in the distance. Shit. He'd bet the
manager had called the cops after the gun shots.

My sister. Let's go.

Both other wolves barked, and a large, gnarled man who
looked oddly familiar peered through the door. "We
have to move. Now. Mate. Now."

The pregnant wolf's head bobbed.

Marked - 237

Barker didn't know if he was ready to entirely trust
Cody's sister, but she had come to their rescue and he
suspected she was their best bet. They certainly couldn't
stay here; the sirens were getting closer every second.

"My truck's just outside." He grabbed the duffel bag
Cody'd brought in.

"We're in the Jeep. Follow us." The man looked at the
Clan, growled. "You three stay."

Barker waved the rifle at them. "You try and follow us,
and I'll stop you with your own fucking piece."

Cody panted, nipping at his heels. Go. Go.

"I'm going." He growled a little and got to the truck,
tossing the duffel bag into the bed and opening the
passenger door for Cody. Cody leaped up, and he could
see the big man lifting the pregnant wolf into the Jeep.
He ran around to the other side of the truck and started
the engine, pulling out and heading for the exit, glancing
back to make sure the Jeep made it out, too. He'd let
them pass him once they were away from the motel and
the cops who were descending upon it.

Can you drive? Your leg?

"I'm fine." In fact, until Cody had mentioned it, he
hadn't even felt his leg. Now, of course, it was starting to
throb like crazy. He had a hunch they were going to
have to swap out when the adrenaline wore off.

You were so brave. There was a wealth of pride in that
thought.

Marked - 238

"I was just protecting my mate." It made him smile,
though. He pulled to the side of the road a few blocks
from the hotel, letting the black Jeep pass him. "How did
she know where we were? How did the Clan know?"

I don't know.

"More unknowns." He growled. "We don't even know
where we're going." And his leg was really starting to
throb. A wave of regret flooded him, coming from his
mate. He glanced at Cody. "I'm not sorry, mate. I'm
pissed off -- fucking angry as all hell at the Clan, but I
don't regret having my mate with me for a second."

Cody didn't answer, muzzle on the seat of the truck.

He followed the Jeep out of town and toward the
mountains in the distance, the throbbing in his leg
getting worse by the second. He clenched his teeth
together, hands gripping the steering wheel until his
knuckles were white.

Let me drive.

He wasn't even sure that Cody could change back yet.
"Four paws, remember?"

Right. Cody chuffed, head bobbing gently. Let me try to
change.

"It's okay if you can't, mate. I'm good for awhile longer."

What did they put in me?

Marked - 239

"It knocked you out for a bit, right?"

Yeah, and when I heard you, I was fuzzy.

He glanced over and frowned. "Are you trying to tell me
there was something in whatever they shot you with that
turned you fuzzy?" Shit. That wasn't good. He was
going to have to refocus and deal with the driving on his
own.

I think fuzzy is where I go now.

"Like when you're hurt? So you should be able to
change back, right? Try."

He could feel Cody trying, struggling, and slowly, so
fucking slowly and painfully, the change started.

It made him wince, feeling that struggle. "Stop. I don't
need you to drive yet."

Cody whimpered, panted. Sorry. Sorry. Trying. For you.
Cody would do anything for him.

"Let's wait until I'm a little more desperate, huh?" He
wouldn't let Cody sacrifice or hurt himself for him.

Cody slumped to the seat, panting harder.

"You need anything, mate?"

Cody groaned, eyes closing.

"Food? Painkillers?"

Marked - 240

I'm okay.

"Yeah? You sure?" The black Jeep moved faster, and he
had to speed to catch up.

Cody didn't answer.

He growled. "Mate..."

Cody's mind was quiet, still.

"Mate?" Mate!

Shh...

"What's the matter?" He needed to know Cody was all
right. Damn it, he'd just promised Cody he'd protect his
mate when the Clan had come in and done something to
him!

Stoned. The thought was distant, fuzzy.

"Oh." He relaxed a little at that. Stoned wasn't hurt, and
it could explain the inability to change. And it would
wear off, right? Right.

The Jeep ahead signaled, and he followed it as it turned
off the highway and then onto a small, two-lane road.
He didn't see any signs as they continued to zoom along
in the growing twilight and the landscape became more
and more forested.

Where the hell were they? He was getting fucking tired
of not knowing what the hell was going on.

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Cody's muzzle landed in his lap, his mate's head heavy.
He dropped one hand to Cody's head, rubbing the soft
fur there. "It's going to be okay, mate." He kept the
worry out of his voice and tried to believe his own
words.

A soft, hot tongue brushed his wrist.

"Mmm..." He continued petting, let his feelings for his
mate push through their bond.

They all slowed, a huge gate opening, letting them all
drive inside. He tried to tell himself that this wasn't a
trap, wasn't fucked up. He couldn't stop the worry,
though. He didn't know these people, what they wanted,
what they'd do to his mate.

Men came out of the car, then the super-pregnant Riana.
She headed for them. "How's he doing?"

"They shot him up full of something -- he's pretty
groggy." He didn't make any attempt to get out of the
truck yet.

"Poor baby. There's a cabin. It hasn't been used in a
couple of years, but it's solid and we have generator
power." She sniffled. "You need a doctor?"

He shook his head. "Just a day or two off my damn leg."

"We can do that." She pointed to a cabin -- the thing
wasn't beautiful, but it looked solid. "You can rest there.
I need to..."

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The large man from earlier wrapped his arm around her
waist. "She needs to rest. She's carrying twins. If you
need anything, we're in the red house."

"We just need to be left alone." He was about done.
Really.

The guy nodded, smiled. "See ya."

"Thanks." He managed to remember his manners at the
last minute. He stayed where he was, though, until he
and Cody were alone, everyone else having scattered.

Mate? There's shelter. He'd carry Cody if he had to. He
was really hoping he didn't have to.

Cody's eyes opened, and his mate sort of... fell out of the
truck before scrambling to his feet.

He growled, fingers curling into the fur around Cody's
neck. Okay, mate?

Good. Cody panted, almost laughing.

You really are stoned. He pushed Cody toward the
dilapidated cabin.

The laughter got worse. He rolled his eyes and kept
heading Cody in the right direction.

The door needed a hard tug to be opened, but it was
solid and there was a lock on the inside. The cabin was
simple: a little dusty, but decent. Solid. There was a
couch, a table, a chair, a rug. Like a house.

Marked - 243

He looked for a bed and, when he didn't find it, checked
the couch. Sure enough, it was a pull-out. He opened it
up and patted it. "Come on, Mate. You need to sleep it
off."

Cody leaped up, turning around and around in the
sheets. Jesus. He threw himself onto the bed, wrapping
his arms around Cody and pulling the wolf close. Cody
groaned, went boneless, and he could hear laughter and
singing, random joy leaking from his mate. At least it
was a good trip. He rubbed at Cody's fur, petting and
stroking and digging his fingers in.

The place was quiet and felt safe. Felt like a sanctuary.
He started to relax, the throbbing in his leg backing off a
bit now that he wasn't using it anymore. He curled
around Cody and held on, letting his mate's giddiness
roll through him.

Home. Home. Home. The word hummed and buzzed
through Cody.

Home? Mate?

Smells so good here.

He breathed in and sneezed at the dust. The wolf must
have caught the scents beneath that. I'll take your word
for it.

The soft laughter made him want to beat Cody.

"Some of us are stuck in our skin for another month."
He buried his nose in Cody's fur -- that was much better
than the dust.

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Cody snuggled back against him, boneless and relaxed.
At least his mate wasn't hurting, though it bothered him
that Cody couldn't change. A little niggling voice said,
what if they'd shot him up with something that made it
so he couldn't ever change back?

Shh. You saw. In the truck. It was hard, but I was getting
there.

"What?" He hadn't said anything out loud -- or through
the bond, at least not deliberately.

Cody's eyes stared at him. What what?

I didn't say anything. How did you know what I was
thinking?

Cody's head tilted and he could feel the confusion.

"It's okay, mate. Don't worry about it." He rubbed the
spot on the top of Cody's head between his ears.
"Probably just some weird side effect from the drugs."

Cody's eyes crossed, tongue lolling out.

He chuckled, rubbing his mate's fur again. "You're
stoned, mate. Out of your brain."

Still, it was adorable, and for the first time in weeks, he
felt like he could breathe. He lay there, petting and
loving on Cody, his body relaxing, easing.

Marked - 245

Chapter Eighteen

He slept hard, his dreams vague and distant, happy, and
when he woke, Barker was beside him. Cody sniffed
and licked, cleaning his mate gently. So beautiful.
Barker made a chuffing sound, a half-laugh, and shifted,
sighed. He nuzzled the soft balls, then cleaned the
scabbed wounds on Barker's leg.

"Mmm." Barker's hand dropped to his head, fingers
sliding through his fur. "Mate."

He chuffed, nuzzled Barker's wrist, so happy to have
Barker awake and easy.

"You feeling better?"

He nodded, focused on his skin, his long legs.

"Oh, yeah, that's it, Cody. You can do it. Be a man for
me."

The change happened -- not fast, but it happened, and he
was sprawled across Barker, smiling. "Mate."

Chuckling, Barker drew him up a little more and
brought their mouths together. He wrapped around
Barker, diving into the kiss with a happy growl. Barker
opened up for him, tongue sliding along his own. He
could feel Barker's body responding to him, prick going
hard, pushing up against his belly.

His cock swelled, and they started rocking together,
finding a lazy, rolling rhythm. He could feel Barker's

Marked - 246

pleasure through their bond as Barker's hands landed on
his ass, pressing him down against the strong body.

"Feeling better?" He bit Barker's bottom lip.

"Yeah. It's just a little sore now. Easy to ignore." Barker
grinned, fingers digging in, lips reaching for his once
more.

"Good to hear." He arched into the touch, moaned into
the kiss.

Barker's agreement was more a sound in their kiss, the
strong body moving beneath his. His fingers wrapped
around Barker's cock and he loved that the man was
dripping for him.

"Cody!" Barker arched, beginning to pant.

"Hmm?"

"More, mate." Don't stop. Don't stop.

"I won't." Why would he?

"Good." Groaning, Barker moved faster, cock sliding
through his fingers.

Good. Mate. He licked a line down Barker's throat.

"Uh-huh." Barker groaned, head going back further to
give him more room.

He nibbled and licked, sucking up a dark mark. His. A
low, rumbling noise came from Barker's throat, pleasure

Marked - 247

emanating from his mate. Yes. His. He groaned, sucked
harder.

"Marking me," muttered Barker, hips jerking, pushing.

Yes. Mine. My mate.

"Cody!" Barker cried out, heat pouring over his fingers.

"Mine." He snarled, bucked against Barker's hip. He
needed.

"Yeah, mate. I am." Barker's fingers slid down along his
hip, down to his prick.

"Please." His entire body bucked, rolled.

Barker growled softly for him. "My mate."

"Yes." He bared his throat, his belly, his balls.

Barker rolled on top of him, working a mark into his
throat, his belly, sucking on his balls. Sharp yips left his
throat, his whole world spinning. Barker's mouth moved
from his balls and wrapped around his cock.

"Mate!" Heat poured from him, pulsed from him, and he
pushed deep into Barker's throat.

He could feel his lover swallowing down around his
cockhead, taking him all in. So good. So good.

He was suddenly so fucking happy, he couldn't bear it.
Barker let him go, sliding up his body to take his mouth,

Marked - 248

share his taste with him. Cody licked at Barker's mouth,
lazy and easy in his bones.

You're happy.

"Mmmhmm." He was. It smelled real here.

"Good." Barker seemed content to lie there, holding
him, stroking his skin.

His cheek found a resting place on Barker's shoulder,
and he listened to the man's steady heartbeat.

"I want it to be like this. Just this."

"Okay." He could handle that.

He didn't believe it, but he could handle it.

***

Barker closed his eyes and held onto Cody and tried to
keep everything else out. He could feel how happy Cody
was in this moment, and he didn't want to let it go.

His leg started throbbing, though. And he needed a
shower in the worst way. He probably could have
ignored all that if his shoulder hadn't started itching. He
couldn't scratch it without moving, and he just knew that
once he moved, the moment would be over.

He tried very hard not to let it get to him, but he could
feel himself slowly getting tighter, the itch intensifying
the harder he tried to ignore it.

Marked - 249

Cody looked up at him. "Hopefully, this place has a
bathroom."

Oh, yeah, he had to do that, too.

Laughing, giving up on being able to hold onto the
moment forever, he shifted Cody and scratched his
shoulder, all but drooling as the itch was relieved.
"Yeah. And a kitchen." You never knew, and if
everyone could change at will, maybe they didn't have
amenities for humans.

Of course, all these wolves had mates, just like Cody
had him. There had to be...

There was. A kitchen, a bathroom, even a tiny bedroom
in the back that they'd missed the night before with a
regular bed. He opened some windows, a rush of fresh,
clean air pushing into the place. It was no wonder
Cody's wolf had been excited.

From there, he went to the kitchen, making a face when
the tiny fridge proved not only to be empty, but not
running. A try at the light switch confirmed it was the
electricity that was missing.

"You have to flip the breakers in the back." A young
man's face appeared at the window. "I can show you."

The initial flash of panic at a stranger at their window
faded slightly as the words sank in, and Barker nodded
stiffly. He found a door in the kitchen leading to the
outside. It had three locks on it, and he undid each one
carefully, noting that they were well oiled and worked
easily. Someone had built this place with ease of escape

Marked - 250

and defensibility in mind. It made him wonder if all the
homes here were like it.

And how soon they'd need those defenses. Would the
Clan come here? He'd seen the look in Harry's eyes, on
the faces of the others who'd come; they wanted Cody,
dead or alive.

"I'm Caleb, by the way. That's my uncle in there."

"Cody?" It was true, then. Cody's sister was still alive
and had come to their rescue. He could see the truth of
Caleb's words in his eyes -- so like Cody's.

"Yeah. Can I meet him soon? Can he change like Mom?
I can't wait to find my mate and change, too."

"Yeah, he can change whenever he wants. That's when
it's supposed to happen, huh? When you find your
mate?" So how come Cody hadn't changed ten years
ago?

"Mom says you have to, uh..." Caleb pinked. "You
know, mate, with your mate, during the moon."

He grunted. That could explain it. He and Cody had
mated before their first change, and then Cody had been
sent away. When they'd gotten together this time, they'd
mated between full moon nights. God, if they'd only
known. If someone had told them.

"The breaker box is back here. There's going to be a
grocery store run today, for flour and potatoes and
things. The hunters are out, too."

Marked - 251

"Is there someone in charge I can talk to?"

"My dad is the Alpha. He said to tell you to come see
him when you're rested and settled." Those eyes that
were blue like Cody's twinkled. "Mom is very, very
grumpy today. The new babies will be here soon. I
wouldn't see her."

"Ladies with babies in their bellies." He nodded. "I
know well enough to leave them alone."

"Yeah. Me, too." The breaker box was opened, the fuses
clearly marked.

Barker chuckled and watched. "Thanks. I don't suppose
we can borrow some steak or something."

"You'll have to talk to my dad. There's like a pack store
of food, but I don't know how that works, really."

"Okay, we'll have to go see him now, then." They hadn't
eaten since pizza yesterday, and that felt like forever
ago.

"Okay. Can... can I meet him? Please?"

"What? Oh. Cody. Sure." Mate, he called softly.
Someone wants to meet you.

Okay. I'm dressed. Cody sounded relaxed, easy.

"Come on in." He held the door open for Caleb.

The boy headed in and Cody's eyes went wide. "Uncle?"

Marked - 252

Cody blinked. "Are you Riana's boy?"

The kid nodded. "You look like me."

"No way. You look like me."

Barker chuckled. "He's got you there, kid. He's older
than you."

"I think it's so cool that you're here. Mom talks about
you a lot."

Cody shrugged. "She was my only sister."

"If she talks about him so damn much, why didn't she
ever come see him, help him?"

"We all thought he was dead." Cody's sister -- who was
the most pregnant woman he'd ever seen -- leaned
against the doorframe.

"Why? How did you find out he wasn't?" He hated
bullying her in her condition, but Cody was his mate,
damn it.

"One of your people sent a message. A sympathetic
family member."

"So you still have ties back to the Clan. You knew they
were coming after us, after Cody." How could they
know they were safe here?

"No. Cody told me."

"What?"

Marked - 253

Cody looked shocked.

He growled, putting himself between Riana and his
mate. "What are you talking about?"

"You told me. You came into my dream and you told
me."

"That was real?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Didn't it feel real?"

"Mom can dream me, too." Caleb smiled. "It's her gift."

Her gift? Is our bond your gift? Out loud, Barker asked,
"So did you instigate the dream or did Cody?"

"I have no idea. I was dreaming and there he was." She
smiled. "I'm glad, you know. Even if I never see you
again, if you leave. I'm glad you are whole and that you
have your mate."

"You might want us to leave," Barker pointed out.
"We've got trouble following us. The Clan thought you
were dead, but they know Cody isn't. I'm not sure they're
going to stop hunting him. It could ruin your safe place
here."

"We protect our own. This is our land, our place. If they
want to fight, they have to leave the safety of the city to
do it."

"And you're taking us in as your own?" He didn't want
to get blindsided if they were in the middle of a fight.

Marked - 254

"You are our own. You are Pack. I can smell it."

He nodded. He'd take that. This was Cody's family; they
would accept him because he was Cody's mate.

Just like his Clan should have accepted Cody because
Cody was his. Fuckers.

Cody's hand slipped over the small of his back. Easy,
mate. We don't have to make any decisions now. We just
need to eat. The teasing laughter trickled through the
bond.

He growled softly, nodded. "We need to raid your
fridge, Riana. We're starving."

"Of course. We're, obviously, fairly self-sufficient here.
We hunt, grow vegetables, buy odds and ends. It's a
group thing." She winked, hand rolling over her belly.
"Come on. I'll show you to the food."

He held out his hand for Cody, waiting until his mate's
fingers slid along his before following her out. "When
are you due? Yesterday?"

"I think so, yes. Sally says any second. Mick wants to
meet you, by the way. I don't know if you pups are old
enough to remember him."

"We're hardly pups. Mick's your mate? The Alpha?"

"Yes. The big guy with the bushel of hair."

Marked - 255

"Is he like you and Cody?" Could the man change
whenever he wanted, too?

She shook her head, blonde hair swinging. "No. Only
one in a pairing, and the one who changes needs their
mate. When you die, he'll come with you in short order.
You only function fully together."

He could understand that. How could he share what he
shared with Cody and then have it suddenly disappear?

Cody's fingers squeezed his as they came to a little
warehouse. Riana opened the doors, showed him a stash
of food.

"We're stocking for the winter, but the meats are in
there, vegetables, milk." Her eyes danced at them.
"Please try to avoid eating the goats and the chickens in
the pen."

"I'm not furry for another month. Talk to the one who'll
be beastly before then." He grinned at Cody.

Cody growled playfully, snapped at him. He laughed as
they followed Cody's sister, feeling better than he had in
days.

"This is the dry stores. Take what you need. We'll ask
that you contribute. We all do. It keeps us going."

"Contribute how?"

A deep, rough voice sounded. "Some of us are hunters,
farmers. Some of us make things to sell. We all have
something. Riana, you need to go sit down."

Marked - 256

"Boys, Mick. Mick, this is my brother and his mate."

Mick nodded, the powerful force making Barker want to
give the man his belly.

"We've met now. Baby, go. You're tired."

"Thanks, Riana." Barker nodded to her before facing
Mick again, noticing she didn't go. "I'm Barker. This is
Cody."

"Welcome. How's the house? It's little, it needs work."

"It does, but it's solid. We can do the work on it if we
stay." He wasn't promising anyone anything right now.

Mick nodded. "She would have come back for him, but
there was no guarantee he was like her. She cried over
him for years."

"Uh-huh." Barker didn't want to be mean, but he wasn't
willing to just ignore the last ten years when Cody could
have used her help. He was guilty of not being there for
Cody, too, but at least he hadn't known what was
possible, what weirdness ran in the family gene pool.

He couldn't just pretend everything was all sweetness
and light now.

Mick nodded like he understood, eyes on his mate,
nostrils flaring. Maybe he did.

"I can pay for the food we eat," Barker noted as he
started going through the fridge, picking up red meat. He

Marked - 257

didn't know if Cody would go fuzzy to eat or stay
human. Either way, they both preferred the red stuff.

"Okay. That works. If you need medical attention, that's
Sally."

"We're good." His leg wasn't bad now that they weren't
moving. Between his ability to heal quickly and Cody's
cleaning of it, he'd live and not limp.

You good, mate? Cody'd been pretty quiet.

Mmmhmm. Cody was staring at his sister, eyes wide.
You can see the babies moving.

Eww. He did not want to see that. He didn't want to
think it.

Cody's laughter was soft, warm. "We're going back to
the house. Resting. Eating. Okay?"

Mick nodded. "This isn't a prison camp. People will be
interested to meet you, but they'll give you time."

"Thanks. Soon as we settle in." He carted their groceries
out of the storeroom.

The little guy followed them, jabbering at Cody, asking
questions, curious. Cody answered a few, but before it
could become really irritating, Mick growled, drawing
Caleb away.

Barker looked over at Cody. "You like it here, don't
you?"

Marked - 258

"It smells like home."

"Yeah? I hope it is, mate. I really do."

"I do, too." Cody closed the door behind them, eyes a
little desperate.

"Hey." He put the food down and pulled Cody into his
arms. "As long as we're together, the rest doesn't matter,
right?"

Cody sucked in a deep breath nodded, arms around him.
"Right."

He pushed their mouths together, tongue sliding
between Cody's lips.

Cody pushed into the kiss for a heartbeat, then he leaned
back. "Food."

"Uh-huh. Before our stomachs crawl out and eat us." He
winked at Cody.

"Grr." Cody growled softly, eyes twinkling.

Laughing, he found a pan in one of the cupboards in the
little kitchen and set it on the stove, put the steaks in it.
"We should explore later. See what all is here, how
many people."

"Mmmhmm. We can make friends, wander. Piss on
trees..." Cody was teasing him.

He stuck his tongue out at his mate. Cody's laugh made
him feel sixteen again.

Marked - 259

He bumped their hips together as the steaks started to
sizzle. "Rare?" Like Cody wanted them any other way.

"Mmmhmm." That was a happy growl.

He forced himself to pull the steaks off the heat and
plate them instead of pouncing on his mate. Cody stayed
human, humming and growling and rubbing against his
side. He cut their steaks up quickly, offered Cody a bite.
If Cody didn't stop that, they weren't going to get much
to eat. He didn't ask his mate to stop.

Cody nipped the beef from his fingers, teeth teasing his
fingertips. Groaning, he rubbed his finger along Cody's
teeth.

Cody sucked his finger clean. "Your turn."

He grabbed a piece of steak, tossing it into his own
mouth, and then held another piece out to his mate.

"Yummy." Look at his mate. Playing. Fuck, it was hot.

He leaned in and licked the juices from Cody's lips.
Cody hummed, making him chase that amazing mouth.

He grabbed his mate and pushed him against the
counter, "Now I have you." Grabbing another piece of
meat, he put it between his own lips and offered it over.

The happy sound made his cock jerk, and the press of
lips against his didn't help.

Marked - 260

"We need to finish the steak." He wasn't sure if he was
telling Cody or himself.

"Uh-huh." Cody fed him two more pieces, chasing them
with soft kisses.

God, eating had never been so fucking sexy. He returned
the favor, his fingers rubbing along Cody's lips as he
popped the meat into his mate's mouth. He was keeping
this forever -- this lazy, relaxed happiness. This place
was good for Cody.

He licked his mate's mouth, one hand finding and sliding
on Cody's belly as he grabbed another piece of steak for
his lover to eat. Cody snapped the bite up, leg sliding up
along his thigh. He wrapped his hand around Cody's leg,
holding it there. He could feel Cody's desire, the need
like a drug.

Want you, mate.

He pushed a couple more pieces of steak into Cody's
mouth, popped three into his own. His hunger for food
was quickly abating.

I'm yours. Cody nipped at his fingers again.

Yes. Mine. Growling, he pushed Cody harder against the
kitchen counter, his hand squeezing his mate's leg,
pressing them close together.

Cody lifted himself up onto the edge of the counter, the
offer clear. His mate was better than any steak. He
pushed Cody back a bit, bending to flick his tongue
across the sweet little hole.

Marked - 261

"Fuck. Fuck, Barker." The words were little yelps.

He nodded and licked more firmly, hands moving to the
insides of Cody's thighs, spreading his legs wider.

"Want you. Need you to take me." The words were
sand-paper rough, Cody's hands clawing in his hair.

"I will." He pointed his tongue and pushed it into Cody's
body.

The scent of the beast was strong here, the musk pure
Cody. Cody's howl rang through the air, the lust like a
drug. He fucking loved that sound, and he wanted more.
He fucked Cody's ass, tongue pushing in over and over.
Cody was driving down onto his tongue, head back,
cries echoing out.

So fucking beautiful, sexy. It made him want. Made him
need. His mate. His heart.

When Cody was good and wet, he stood up again,
pulling off his sweats and pushing his cock into his
mate.

"Yes!" Cody's biceps bulged as the strength was added
to his.

He pulled most of the way out, then back in again. Cody
took him in and in, taking every inch and then
demanding more.

"All mine," he growled.

Marked - 262

Cody was too far gone to answer; his mate just nodded,
grunted. That worked for him. He began thrusting,
working his prick into Cody's body again and again.
That heat wrapped around him, dragged at him, tried to
keep him in. This was the best thing ever, being buried
inside his mate, being joined. Being buried inside Cody,
touching him deep inside.

He wrapped his mouth around Cody's throat, sucking
hard. He could feel the blood under the surface of the
tanned skin, raising up for his lips. He was going to
leave a dark, lurid mark. Right where everyone could
see it. His mate. His man. His wolf. His.

He thrust harder, taking his mate.

"Mate. Yes. Fill me."

He grabbed Cody's ass, pulling his mate into each thrust.
Cody's hand pushed between them, fingers tight around
that needy prick. He bit at the mark he'd made, teeth
scraping along his skin. Heat sprayed up between them,
Cody's ass like a fist around his cock.

"Fuck! Mate!" He pushed in hard, come pouring from
him into Cody.

They stayed there, Cody perched on the edge of the
counter, both of them panting, shaking. He let his
pleasure and love go through the bond.

"Bed. This counter is biting into my butt."

He laughed as he slid out, picked Cody up to carry him
to bed.

Marked - 263

"Do you think we can stay?"

"Maybe." He'd do his best for his mate. Cody deserved
to be somewhere he was happy.

Cody curled around him, human and melted for the first
time in his memory.

"As long as I'm with you, that's the important part."

He squeezed Cody tight, nodded. "Love you, mate," he
said quietly.

"Love." Cody kissed his jaw.

He pressed their foreheads together, smiling into his
mate's eyes. The happiness there, that was worth
fighting for.

After the last ten years, they fucking deserved it.

Marked - 264

Chapter Nineteen

They stayed in the cabin -- eating and resting and
making love -- for three days. Then Cody slipped out
while Barker was sleeping and went to explore.

Riana was at one of the larger homes, a young girl in her
arms, resting on the porch. "Brother."

"Riana."

"Finally came out of hibernation, hmm?"

He grinned, shrugged. "Winter is coming, isn't it?"

"It is." She gave him a sharp look. "Are you staying?"

"I hope so. This smells like home." He arched an
eyebrow. "If Barker's uncomfortable, I'll go with him."

"Where? Where would you go? You fit here. You
belong here." She rubbed her belly.

He nodded. "How are you feeling? You're the size of a
house."

"I'm ready to pop. I don't know why they're waiting."

"Are there two?" He came closer, surprised as the little
girl slid from her mother's arms into his, cuddling in. He
must smell like Pack.

"Yeah, there are. Two boys." She reached out and
touched his cheek. "I didn't know you could get the

Marked - 265

change if you mated with another male. He makes you
happy?"

"He's amazing." Barker was perfect.

Riana snorted softly. "You wouldn't be biased at all."

"No more than you are. I thought you were dead."

She nodded. "It's easier for the rest of the Clan if
everyone believes that."

"They know Cody's alive, though." Barker came up
behind him, arm looping around his waist. "What's
more, they know he doesn't need the moon to change."

He felt a soft stroke through the bond he shared with his
mate. He leaned into Barker's warmth. The little girl in
his arms looked up to Barker, smiled, and settled back
down.

"Yes, and they'll come for him." Mick came out of the
house with three other men and one tall, lean woman.

Great, this is where they asked him to leave. Barker
stiffened slightly next to him, puffing up a little. The
hand around his waist was solid, and Cody could all but
hear Barker's growls through their bond.

"They will," Barker agreed, voice rough.

"Well, then. We'd all better get prepared." The Alpha's
voice made him shiver, just a bit. "Because I'm not
giving up a single one of my Pack."

Marked - 266

Barker met Mick's eyes. "You're counting Cody and me
in that number?"

"Yes." No waffling, no doubt. Mick sounded sure.

They want us, mate. You're sure this is where you want
to be?

He nodded. Yes. Yes.

"Thank you." Barker looked at Mick and then tilted his
head back, making himself vulnerable to Mick. "I'll fight
proudly by my Alpha's side."

He vibrated a little, when Mick's lips touched Barker's
throat. Then everyone looked at him.

He nodded. "I'm in."

Mate. There was a wealth of pride in Barker's thoughts.

Mick's lips touched his throat, a gentle welcome, then
the touch was gone.

He'd felt Barker tense, but his mate quickly relaxed.
"We're going to need a plan."

"First, we need some introductions. You have a Pack to
meet." Mick winked, lips quirking in something that
could be a smile.

"Sure." Barker's arm tightened around his waist. His
mate was making his claim very clear. As if the lurid
mark on his throat wouldn't do that.

Marked - 267

"No." Riana's voice was sure, if a little breathless. "First,
someone find Sally. I think my water just broke."

"Oh, man." Barker actually took a step backward. "No
offense, but I am so glad I'm not female."

"You and me, both." An older man drew them to the
side as Mick sent a young girl to another cabin.

"I'm Vince, by the way. You're Cody and Barker.
Welcome."

"Thanks." Barker shook the man's hand, replying for
both of them. "Who are you related to?"

"My lady and me, we're from the Northern Hill Pack.
Well, we were. I was the Alpha until Mick came."

"Are you like Riana?"

Cody could see Barker putting people together, figuring
things out, how things worked.

"I am, and Leeah grows things. Everything she plants, it
thrives."

"Yeah? I'm good at guarding things." Barker growled a
little, baring his teeth.

"Excellent." Warm brown eyes turned to him. "And
you?"

He shrugged, suddenly worried. What if he didn't have
anything to offer? What if... Wait. Wait. "I worked in
construction for years."

Marked - 268

"He hunts. He's strong. He can be human when everyone
else succumbs to the wolf." There was that pride again,
shining from Barker.

"Excellent. You don't know how much we've needed
help just keeping things up."

"You'll never regret inviting Cody to be a part of your
Pack."

"Of course not." Vince laughed. "Come meet Layla and
Ben, Mark and Hettie. There are ten families. You'll
learn about all of them."

"Ten!" Barker grabbed his hand and they followed
Vince. "And all of them have a wolf who can beast out
whenever they want?"

"Yes. You're the only same sex pair, though. No one
knew that could happen."

"Cody's special," Barker suggested.

"Yes." Those eyes met his. "I can't imagine going for ten
years, suffering. You've got to be the strongest man I
know."

Cody could feel Barker's pride in him wash over him.

Before he could answer, a group of kids all younger than
Caleb came barreling over.

"Are you new?"

Marked - 269

He looked down at all of them -- there had to be nine of
them -- and nodded. "I'm Cody."

"Wanna come play hide and seek?"

He chuckled. "You know what? I do." He grinned at
Barker, at Vince.

Barker rolled his eyes and shook his head. Crazy, mate.
He could hear the fondness in the thoughts, though.

Going to play!

He waved, ran, roaring playfully and chasing the kids
into the trees.

It was home.

***

Barker knew he and Cody could contribute more than
their share to the Pack; that wasn't what worried him.
They were bringing trouble with them. They hadn't
asked for it, but there it was -- the Clan wasn't going to
just let Cody go.

While Cody was off playing with the kids again, he
searched Mick out.

Riana had given birth to two beautiful boys two days
ago, and mother and babies were doing fine. Mick was
sitting on the front porch of his house with a lazy, tired
smile on his face.

Marked - 270

"Hey," Barker called out as he approached, moving to sit
in the empty chair next to Mick's.

"Hey. Your mate is good with the kids. They love him."

"I think he likes them because they're uncomplicated.
They say what they mean, and they just want to have
fun." There was an ease about Cody here that had been
missing, even in the first days after Cody's change.

"That they do. How are you? Have you seen my sons?"

"No, I..." He grinned sheepishly. "I've never been too
good around babies." He'd never really been around
babies, what with being a bachelor and all.

"Would you like to? Riana is sleeping, but they're in
their cribs."

"Oh, uh. Sure?" He wasn't going to insult the Alpha by
not wanting to see his new pups. Of course, he'd better
make sure he didn't insult the Alpha by dropping said
pups on their heads, either.

He was led into the house, which was filled with
decorations and toys -- obviously a home. There were
two bassinets in the main room, two beautiful boys
sleeping away.

"They're so little. And perfect. Little perfect people."

Mick nodded. "They're going to be strong wolves."

"They're going to need to be protected until then."

Marked - 271

"They are." Mick met his eyes. "I dare anyone to come
take what's ours."

"Do we have a plan? Because before Cody and I left the
city, I was warned. About what they would do to Cody.
They want to take him apart and see what makes him
able to change whenever he wants."

"They can't, and if they try, we call in the Northern
Clans. No offense, Barker, but your Alpha's a
dickcheese and there's not an Alpha one that won't stand
with us, against him."

He laughed out loud, surprised by Mick's words. "No
offense taken. And he's not my Alpha anymore, Mick."

"Good." Mick drew him out of the house, letting the
babies sleep. "I think we ought to make it clear, though,
that we aren't open to negotiations. They banished Riana
and Cody. They don't get to claim them."

"Exactly." Barker nodded. "I think if we've got the threat
of the Northern Clans behind us, they'll be reasonable."
He hoped so, anyway. He didn't want to have to take a
whole bunch of packs to war, but he was willing to do it
if he had to.

"So we'll meet on neutral ground, bring Dorian and
Kerry, Harrison and Starla from the Northern Packs.
We'll make a show."

"You want me to contact them?" Although he had a
hunch William would be more likely to treat it as a real
meeting and not just a chance to snatch Cody if it came
from another Alpha.

Marked - 272

"No. I want you to make sure the Pack is safe while
we're gone. Make sure there's enough coverage. Tell
Vince that he'll be in charge here."

"If I'm not going with you, neither is Cody." Mick might
be their Alpha now, but Cody was his.

Mick's eyebrow arched. "I didn't say you weren't
coming. I said you were in charge of assuring our Pack
is safe when we go."

"Oh." He blinked. "I'm the security? Are you sure I'm
enough?"

"You're going to have to be."

He nodded. "Okay. Okay, I will be."

He would do it. He would prove to his new Pack that he
could protect them.

"Good." One of the babies started wailing, the sound lost
and scared. "I'll leave you to it."

"When are we going?"

"Let me make some calls. I'll let you know."

"Okay." He held his hand out and shook with Mick.

Then he let the man go tend to his family while he
wandered toward the forest that surrounded the clearing
holding the Pack's houses.

Marked - 273

Mate?

Hmm? Cody was near water, walking, the children gone.

Want company? He closed his eyes and... felt for where
he thought Cody's thoughts had come from, started
walking in that direction.

The bond was getting stronger with every passing day.
Yes. What have you been up to?

Working on getting us free of the Clan. He kept walking,
following that feeling that said "Cody."

Good. Every day, Cody looked healthier, less haunted.

You were right. This is a good place. Better than the city
he'd thought he loved. It was funny, only not, how
things changed.

He met Cody's eyes as he walked into a clearing. Cody
was human, lazing in the sun. Beautiful.

"Mate." He spoke the word out loud. Or maybe through
the bond; he didn't know, and it didn't matter.

"Barker." Cody smiled at him, stretched.

"Look at you." He growled a little and started stripping
as he admired the sun-kissed skin.

"I'll look at you. Mate."

Marked - 274

It made him strut and flex, showing off for his lover.
The deep moan was gratifying, low. Appreciative. He
pulled off his clothes, lying down with his mate.

"Barker." Cody's face was relaxed, tanned. Barker was
watching his lover age backward.

"Cody." He pressed their lips together, the kiss slow and
sweet.

They rested together on the blanket that Cody had
brought, both of them breathing into the kisses. His
mate's skin was so soft, calling to his fingertips.

"You taste good." Cody's words were warm on his lips.

"Good." He wanted Cody to love everything about him.

"What did Mick say?"

"We're going to meet up with William and the City
Clan. Us and representatives from the Northern Packs.
Work out a truce, make it clear that they mess with you,
they mess with everyone." He gave Cody a toothy grin.
"Apparently there's little love lost between William and
the Northern Packs."

Cody frowned. "They'll go to war for me? That doesn't
seem right."

"Why not? We're a part of Mick's Pack now. Would they
go to war over the littlest pup? Of course they would. So
why not you?"

"I just..." Cody shrugged. "Guilt, I guess."

Marked - 275

"You've more than paid your dues, mate. You were
alone and hurting for ten years. No more. You've got a
mate who's really present in your life now, a pack, and
you can change at will. Take it -- it's yours."

"It doesn't seem real, sometimes."

It's real. You're real.

He touched Cody, showing his mate how solid he was,
how there.

We're real and I can change.

Yeah. Not right now, though. He rolled on top of Cody,
fusing their mouths together.

Cody's laughter was surprised, happy, tickled as hell.

Skin warm from the sun, Cody felt so good under him.

Cody's cock firmed, swelled, pressed against his thigh.

Groaning, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding
between Cody's lips.

Horndog. The tease was easy, lazy. Don't we have work
to do?

This first. This is important stuff.

Cody's laugh rang through the trees, agreeing with him.
The important stuff.

Marked - 276

Chapter Twenty

The Packs were meeting -- there were three couples
from different packs coming south, coming to get Mick
and Barker and meet with William. The autumn was
threatening to become winter, too, and sooner than
normal.

His first winter with Barker, with this Pack.

Cody was feeling a little on edge.

Barker growled at him. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Huh? I... I'm nervous, I guess? The meeting, our first
full moon here. Everything."

"Then come here." Barker dragged him close, hands
sliding on him.

He kissed Barker's nose. "Are you ready for the
meeting?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I have good men at my back,
but William is... a creep. I don't trust him."

"He's worse than a creep." Cody sighed, stretched. "It'll
be good to have it over, though."

"It will. Then we can settle."

They'd already done a bit of settling. Cody had worked
on the roof, shored up the foundation, and resealed the
plumbing in the bathroom. He had a feeling he would

Marked - 277

learn a lot about septic systems, too. More than he ever
wanted to.

Barker had gone around, patching up the Pack's
defenses, making suggestions for places to put fences,
guards.

They were a part of this. Real.

Have you told anyone about this? Barker waved a hand
between them.

No, but I think they've guessed. All the pairs have a...
gift.

What makes you think they've guessed? Do other pairs
have this gift?

He shook his head, but Riana had been in his dream.

I don't want to share it. It's ours. Special. Like you.

It's you. He'd seen the other couples -- the ones that had
to change with the moon, they had something special.

Barker snorted. You're the special one, mate. Barker's
fingers slid on his cheek, eyes shining for him.

He shook his head. He didn't think so. He thought it was
them, together, something about their chemistry.

"I'm just a growly old wolf, mate."

"My growly old wolf. When do we leave?"

Marked - 278

"As soon as the last couple from the Northern Pack get
here."

"Okay. That sounds..."

The alarm whistle went off from guards on the east side.
Barker growled and they both leaped out of bed, heading
for the door.

Cody was fuzzy before he hit the door, just like a goodly
portion of his Pack, their hackles raised.

"What is it?" growled Barker, fingers in the fur on
Cody's head.

Mick came out, shotgun in hand. "I need someone to
stay with Riana, guard the children."

Barker nodded. "I can't wolf out, so I'll do it." Stay safe,
mate.

I will. If it was William, they'd be there for him.

"Go with the others," rumbled Mick, pointing to where
three other wolves were already loping out toward the
eastern edge of the property. "Careful. They'll be human,
and they could have weapons."

A battered truck filled with several men with guns in the
bed stopped by Mick, and he jumped into the passenger
seat. Cody ran with the other wolves, the four of them
moving fast and low, nostrils working overtime.

Marked - 279

They soon found the interlopers, four men at least, all
werewolves. Clan from the City. Cody would know the
scent anywhere.

He snarled softly, sniffing. Guns. They had guns. More
of the weird darts, too. Taking Vince's lead, they spread
out, circling the men. Mate? If you can get a message to
Mick, there's four of them and they're armed. I see
Hannah; she's down. The eastern guard was awfully
still.

Walkie-talkie. I'll tell him. Be careful. He could feel
Barker's worry through the bond, but he could also feel
his mate's pride -- they were going to have the upper
hand in this because of him and his ability to report
back.

On it.

They moved closer, creeping toward the invaders.

"Which way's their base, William? This shit's creepy."

Another nodded, spoke. "We're not used to the woods."

Cody heard Mick and the others before William and his
men did, before Mick made their presence known, so he
was ready for the sound of the shotgun cocking, for it to
come out of from the cover of the trees. "We are. And
they're our woods. You're trespassing."

Cody and the others came forward, four fully grown
wolves, teeth bared.

Marked - 280

William and his men all brought their own guns up,
some of them aiming at him and the other wolves,
William himself aiming at Mick's head. "You might
have the animals on your side, but they're no match for
guns, and you're just one man."

Mick chuckled as Vinnie and the men from the Northern
Packs who'd already arrived slid out from the forest.
They were all armed as well.

Cody snarled, teeth bared, drawing the man's attention.
Here. Right here. So his pack could attack.

William's gun shifted to him, the man sneering. "There's
the abomination."

"Back off and leave now and no one gets hurt." Mick's
aim never wavered.

The others slid around and he barked. Pay attention.
Over here.

"If you don't kill him, I will. Before he sullies our
bloodlines."

Mick's reply was simple, clear. "Fuck you."

The others were close, ready to attack, and he growled
deep in his throat, giving them a chance, keeping the
rifles trained on him.

"I'll kill him, don't think I won't."

"You can try," Mick said softly, a dangerous note in his
voice.

Marked - 281

William shouted, finger squeezing the trigger.

Fire burned into Cody's side and he cried out, legs
collapsing underneath him. Oh.

Mate! Barker's worry filled his mind.

More gunfire sounded, William going down.

Mate. Are the babies safe? He could hear his heartbeat,
so loud.

There's no one here. They're fine. What happened?

They have guns. Mick came.

Are you safe?

Mick and the men he was with swarmed around the
remaining interlopers, pulling the wolves off them.

Love you. He couldn't lie.

Mate. He could hear Barker growling as if his mate were
right there. I'm coming to you.

No. Your Pack. You protect the pups. They'll bring me to
you. He panted through a wave of pain that was
followed by bitter cold. The winter was coming.

Barker's answer was simply a growl, low and worried,
angry.

Marked - 282

Vinnie came over, hands gentle on him. "We've got
them, Cody. You did good. Where does it hurt?"

He cried out when Vinnie touched his side, his chest,
and he heard the muffled curse.

Mate!

"Mick! We need to get Cody to Sally. Now."

Love you. Always. He needed Barker to know that.

Hold on, mate, I'm coming.

You protect the pups.

Somebody lifted him and he barked, whined.

Mate! Mate! Barker felt frantic in his mind.

Love. He hurt. He was placed in the truck and they took
off, each bounce bringing with it a fresh pain.

Mate. Mate. Mate.

So tired.

So cold.

Mate. Love you. Don't you leave me.

Home. Finally came home. He sighed, muscles going
lax.

Marked - 283

They went over another bump, and the last thing he
heard as the pain disappeared into darkness was Barker
yelling out his name.

Marked - 284

Chapter Twenty-One

Barker was fucking beside himself. He could feel Cody
through the bond, knew his mate was hurt, and then
nothing, absolutely nothing. He paced up and down on
Riana's porch, howling brokenly until the truck came
bouncing into the clearing.

He was off like a shot, making for the truck before it
even pulled to a stop.

"Sally! We need you!" Vinnie's voice rang out. "Cody's
been shot!"

"Fuck!" Barker climbed onto the truck bed and pushed
Vinnie out of the way. "Cody!" Mate! He screamed
through their bond.

He felt something, a flutter, a whimper, a whisper.

Yes. That's it, mate. Don't you dare leave me.

He barely noticed Sally joining him in the truck, all his
focus and concentration on Cody, on connecting with
his mate and lending his strength to Cody's. His mate
was breathing slowly, tongue out, blood pooling under
him.

"We need to move him, anesthetize him." Sally's dark
eyes met his. "We have to stop the bleeding, see his
heart."

"I'll do it." He ground the words out; he wasn't letting
anyone else take his mate. I swear, Cody, you better stay
here with me.

Marked - 285

Mate. The word was there when his slid his hands under
the limp body.

"Yes!" He gathered Cody's body close, the fur matted
with blood. Stay with me. Stay with me. He chanted the
words over and over through their bond.

"In here, Barker. Someone get me more light!" The
makeshift clinic was a room in Sally's house, with a set
of cabinets and a covered table.

Riana came up. "Oh, no. Brother!"

"He's going to be fine." Barker snarled the words; there
was no lamenting, no worrying. Cody was going to live.

"Did they stop them?"

They sure as shit better have; he was going to be even
more pissed if Cody'd been hurt in vain.

"Yeah." Vince nodded. "William is dead. Mick has the
other three. Danny's going back with rope and the
truck."

Satisfaction went through Barker at Vince's words. A
small part of him would have liked to have dispatched
William himself, but his Pack had done the job and that
was good enough.

"What can we do?" Riana asked, going with Vince.

Barker looked at Sally. "What are you waiting for? Fix
him!"

Marked - 286

"Get the hell out of the way. I'll need someone to stay,
hold him."

"That'll be me." He wasn't leaving Cody's side. The Pack
would have to finish up whatever they needed to without
him.

"Are you sure, Barker?" Sally's eyes met his. "It will be
messy."

"I'm not leaving him, Sally. He's my mate." You hear
that, Cody? I'm not leaving you, so you're just going to
have to get better.

No response. None.

"Okay, I'm giving him something to keep him out. The
bullet's in there, and we'll have to dig it out."

Barker closed his eyes and nodded. "Just do it."

"Talk to him, huh? It helps." She shaved Cody's leg,
started an IV, and then started working.

His poor mate.

"Sally's going to make you better." He babbled away,
hardly paying any attention to his words. The whole
time he kept murmuring, Mate. Love you. Love you,
Mate, through their bond.

"There. There it is. Jesus. Don't let him move, Barker.
Don't let him fucking move. Pray."

Marked - 287

He held his mate down, using both hands. "Stay still,
Cody. Just lie there and let Sally fix you." Don't move,
Mate. For me. Don't move.

Barker?

Love! Oh, mate. Don't move, mate. Sally is helping, but
it might hurt. Don't move.

Barker, it's dark.

He almost chuckled. Cody's eyes were closed.

It's night, mate. And your eyes are closed. Keep 'em
closed.

"I've almost got it. Please, Mother Moon, don't let him
move. Please."

No moving, mate. You'll piss Sally off if you do.

Love. Cody whimpered.

I know, mate. I know. It'll be over soon, I promise. And
then you'll heal and we'll go romp in the woods.

"There. Oh, fuck. There." Sally held up a bullet, almost
howling. "Here. Look."

He did, growling as he saw the metal that had injured his
mate.

"It's out. I'll pack the wound, bind it, but... it's the best
case scenario, Barker."

Marked - 288

"Good." You're going to be okay, mate. He couldn't keep
the relief out of his thoughts.

Hurt. Hurt.

Sally was washing the wound, Cody whimpering.

"Shh. Shh, I have you mate." He pushed strength and
love through the bond, trying to take the pain from his
mate.

"I'm going to put him deeper into sleep, now that I know
the bullet's out."

"Okay."

You're going to sleep now, mate. Sleep and heal. I'll be
here when you wake up. He might never let Cody out of
his sight again.

Sleep. The words were fuzzy, distant.

Yes, mate. Sleep. Love. Heal.

Mick's head popped in. "Barker, we need you to identify
these men with the other Alphas present. We need this
over."

"I'll be there in a minute." He stroked Cody's fur. Sleep,
mate. I love you.

Cody's thoughts were quiet buzzes.

He kissed his mate's muzzle. "Thank you, Sally."

Marked - 289

"He'll be fine, you'll see. Go make sure they never come
back and bother our Pack."

"Yeah." He growled, the corner of his upper lip curling.
"If they do, I'll kill them myself."

With one last stroke to Cody's flank, he headed out to
identify the Clan members who'd come to try and take
away his heart.

There were four of them, three standing, one on the
ground. The Alphas that had arrived today were
snarling, pacing, and Mick was right in the middle of it.

Barker pointed at the man on the ground, spitting.
"That's William, Clan Alpha."

"Was." Mick's lips twisted.

Barker couldn't contain his fierce grin. "That's right.
Was. That's Harry O'Neal and Junior." He pointed to
each of the others in turn. These men used to be his
Clan. Harry had been his friend.

"Traitor." That was Junior. "You let them kill our
Alpha."

Dorian, from one of the northern packs, snorted. "Seems
to me your Alpha waged war on another pack. They
didn't invade your lands."

Barker crossed his arms and held his ground. "You tried
to kill my mate. You didn't, though. He's going to live."

"He's an abomination, Barker. His whole family."

Marked - 290

Mick snarled, the rifle butt popping out, taking Junior in
the chin and felling the man.

Yeah, that was definitely the wrong thing to say on the
Packland of a Pack built around "abominations" like
Cody.

"Maybe he's the next evolutionary step, Harry. But that
would never occur to a bunch of dinosaurs like you,
would it?"

"I don't give a fuck what they think. I want them gone."
Mick growled deep.

Barker wanted more than that. "I want them on trial for
attempted murder."

"We could just kill them all," Mick suggested, with a
wicked grin.

"Or we could move the seconds from the pack and the
eastern pack in," Harrison said. "They're mated, they're
strong, and they both have sibs in this pack."

Harry started sputtering, and Barker snarled. "I want you
on trial, Mick wants you dead. I think this is a
compromise you should take and be fucking grateful."

"Jenna and Dean are strong, savvy, and both were
educated in the city. They're a good choice." That was
Rosa, Vinnie's mate.

It annoyed Barker that Harry and the others were going
to get away with what they'd done, but if this meant the

Marked - 291

Clan would leave Cody and the Pack alone, he'd
swallow his need for further vengeance. William was
dead. It would have to do.

Harry opened his mouth again and the rifle butt swung
out again. Mick chuffed. "Oops. Slipped."

Rosa looked at Mick. "You're not helping."

"No?" Mick growled. "They shot my packmate. They
threatened my family, my pups. They invaded my
home."

"And they aren't even sorry," added Barker. "They'll do
it again if they think they can get away with it."

"They won't. They'll have new Alphas." Rose was one
strong bitch.

Harry looked like he was going to protest again, but
Junior grabbed his arm and tugged him back. "William
is dead. We need a new Alpha -- you really want all the
young bucks fighting each other for it? The city would
be a mess."

"I just..."

The men started talking hard, but Barker could feel it in
the air. They were going to break.

Finally, Junior and O'Neil pushed Harry forward.

"We'll swear loyalty to the new Alphas." The words
were grudgingly spoken, but Barker knew, they all

Marked - 292

knew, that once loyalty had been sworn, a wolf wouldn't
go back on his word.

"Barker?" Sally came over, touched his arm. "He won't
settle. Can you come?"

He nodded and sent one parting shot in Harry's
direction. "If you come near my mate again, I will kill
you."

Then he turned and headed for Sally's house. I'm
coming, mate.

Marked - 293

Chapter Twenty-Two

Every time he tried to wake up, Barker was there,
hushing him, holding him, petting him, and easing him
down. The dreams were simple -- running and hunting,
the moon calling to him. Good dreams. Barker was in
his dreams, too, running with him, chasing him over
fields and through the forest, always whispering in his
ear of love and home and their life together.

It was hunger that drove him up out of the dreams
finally. Hunger and the scent of steak.

Barker chuckled as he blinked his eyes open. "I thought
some raw meat might tempt you back to life."

He panted, grinned, and tried to move. There was an
ache, a pull in his side, but the burn was gone. Mate.
They shot me.

"I know. They've paid for it, though." Barker's grin was
positively evil. "William is dead and two Northern Pack
members are now Alpha."

They're gone? A fierce relief swept him. Good. I'm
hungry.

Barker laughed and set a bowl with two -- two! -- raw
steaks on it. "All yours, mate."

He got to his feet, snapping the first steak up before
starting on the second. Good. Good. Meat.

Marked - 294

Barker's hand slid over his head and down along his
body, rubbing his fur. He vocalized softly, so happy he
couldn't bear it.

"You feel well enough to change, mate?" Barker said it
casually, but he could feel his mate's need through the
bond. Barker needed to know that he could.

He licked the bowl clean, then crawled close to Barker.
Talk to me. He concentrated on his human form, his
breath, his mate.

"I've been talking to you for days, mate. While you
healed. Now I want to see my human mate. I want to
kiss you and touch your skin and see the scar."

I dreamed about you. He felt the change coming, and he
reached for his human self, for the pleasure and the
sensations that form gave him.

"Good. You're almost there, mate. I want to see your
face with those beautiful blue eyes, and feel your hands
on my body. I want arms and legs and your lovely,
ripped belly."

Barker. He wanted that, too.

"I want to kiss you, mate. I want to lick you all over and
fuck you and make you come."

He moaned, landing in Barker's arms, naked and bare
and shuddering. "Mate."

Marked - 295

"Cody!" Barker beamed at him, relief in his lover's eyes
as the strong arms wrapped around him and tugged him
close.

"Barker." His mouth found Barker's jaw, sliding along
the skin, tasting salt.

Barker growled softly, head tilting so their mouths
pressed together. Barker's hair tangled in his fingers, and
he moved closer so that their bellies rubbed.

Mate. Mate. Mate. Barker's joy and happiness
surrounded him.

He held on, breathing as Barker began to tremble. He
was safe. Whole. Home. And so was Barker.

"Mine," growled Barker before taking his mouth again,
hard this time, harder than ever, their teeth clacking,
mashing against their lips.

He agreed wholeheartedly, and he relaxed and let Barker
in, let Barker taste. Barker was clearly starving for this,
for him. For them. One kiss followed the next, the need
building sharply. Barker's hands on him were gentle,
though, careful on his chest, on the mostly-healed
wound.

Mate. Safe. Home. Whole. Mine. More thoughts than
words, they filled his mind with Barker.

Cody nodded, melting into each thought, soaring with
them.

Marked - 296

Barker rolled onto his back, pulling Cody up to straddle
the strong body. Ride me, mate.

He licked at Barker's lips, nibbling, pulling at the bottom
lip with his teeth. Teasing. Barker humped up beneath
him, hips moving, sliding. That wet-tipped cock bumped
his hole, demanding entrance, Barker's need a tangible
thing.

Mate. Let me in. Need you.

I'm right here. Whole and healthy and home. He eased
himself down, panting as Barker stretched him.

Here. My mate. Barker's hands wrapped around his hips.

"Yes." He met Barker's eyes. "Home with our Pack."

"Yes!" Barker's hips snapped, driving his mate's cock
deep.

"Home to run. The moon's coming soon." For the first
time, they'd run together with a pack.

Barker put his head back, a decent howl coming from
his human throat. Cody threw his own head back, his
call joining his mate's. From outside their cabin, many
other voices -- wolf and human -- joined in.

Their Pack.

Home.

They were home.

Marked - 297

They were home and safe.

End.

Marked - 298